Indy's cold AI job market
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The Indianapolis area trails 29 other regions when it comes to the availability of AI jobs.
Why it matters: Amid consternation about artificial intelligence taking people's jobs, at least some people are finding new roles working with the emerging technology.
By the numbers: Metro Indy job postings in January included 170 that require AI skills, compared with 653 for Chicago, 237 for Detroit and 218 for Columbus, Ohio.
- New York City had the most with nearly 1,995 postings, followed by Seattle with 1,472 and San Jose with 1,228.
How it works: These estimates come from UMD-LinkUp AI Maps, a collaboration between the University of Maryland, job listings platform LinkUp and Outrigger Group, a consultancy and executive firm.
- The researchers use AI to analyze job postings for roles requiring AI skills.
State of play: Dozens of Indy-based AI jobs were posted on Indeed over the past two weeks, ranging from a $ 20-an-hour job as a philosophy AI trainer for Outlier Ai to a remote principal data scientist at CVS Health with an annual salary up to $288,400.
Between the lines: New research from Writer, an enterprise AI startup, says AI adoption is deepening divisions in the workplace and "tearing apart" companies.
- An analysis of how employees and C-suite executives view the topic found that less than half (45%) of employees — versus 75% of the C-suite — think their company's AI rollout in the last 12 months has been successful.
- May Habib, CEO of Writer, says the pushback from employees stems both from fear of being replaced by AI and AI tools that aren't suited for the job.
The other side: Meanwhile, Gen Z workers are approaching generative AI with caution and optimism, and employers say they're willing to take chances on otherwise less qualified candidates if they have AI experience.
Threat level: Indianapolis was listed among the top 15 metros where AI could upend jobs, according to a 2023 analysis.
- 13.3% of the Indianapolis area's workforce is at risk — or more than 140,000 jobs — primarily in the office and administrative support sector.
Reality check: Indiana not exactly being a hotspot for AI jobs this year or last suggests that if the rise of the robots does come, it won't be rapid.
Yes, but: The Hoosier state is still playing a pivotal role in the technology's future development.
The latest: The Indy Autonomous Challenge, a local nonprofit that organizes autonomous racing competitions among university-affiliated teams, is now a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) partner that is assisting in the nation's development and training of physical AI.
- Researchers from Indiana University are leading an effort funded through a $7.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to understand the role AI plays in spreading misinformation.
- In November, Purdue University's newest supercomputing community cluster Gautschi was recognized as one of the nation's most powerful tools for AI research.
- Next month, AI-powered baseball training will make its debut in Indy via a new partnership between tech company Pison and local Prep Baseball facilities.
The bottom line: Love it or hate it, AI will keep coming to Indy even if all the AI jobs don't.
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