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Artificial intelligence, an enigmatic term for technologies that make gadgets and software “smart,” is expected to become a bigger part of our lives thanks to advances in computing power, data storage, and high-speed networks like 5G.
According to a study, “Measuring the Future: AI and San Diego’s Economy,” published last week by the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp.
While the study did not identify a specific number of artificial intelligence jobs in the region, it did highlight industries with above-average employment in AI fields.
These include telecommunications, information technology, software, and transportation. Large companies with offices in San Diego like Booz Allen Hamilton, Northrop Grumman and ResMed – as well as smaller companies like Lytx, Lockton and Semantic AI – are among the companies developing artificial intelligence technologies in the region.
These industries support an estimated 175,680 local jobs, or about 10 percent of total employment in the region. The average salary in this cluster is $ 127,960, which the study found is 3.9 percent above the national average for these industries and more than 70 percent above the average San Diego worker salary.
According to a survey of local businesses, 62 percent expect the number of employees doing AI-related work to increase in the next 12 months, the report said.
“Our biggest finding from the study is that the adoption of AI is creating more jobs in the region, rather than eliminating them,” said Joe Rohner, head of analytics practice at Booz Allen, the consultancy that created the study. “We believe San Diego can lead this ability globally, attract new talent to the region, drive economic growth and create new jobs in San Diego.”
For most people, artificial intelligence is not easy to define. It is generally thought of in futuristic terms around things like self-driving cars. A recent survey by the Center of the Governance of Artificial Intelligence found that 60 percent of Americans were either neutral, disapproving, or unsure about AI, while 40 percent support it.
“Automation in general is seen in a rather dim light,” said Nate Kelley, senior research manager at the San Diego Regional EDC. “So it was really good news” that companies in San Diego are apparently not shedding jobs because of AI.
However, artificial intelligence is already more widespread than it seems. Smartphones rely on it to run things like voice assistants, improve photo quality, or provide directions in navigation apps. Qualcomm has been integrating AI engines into its smartphone processors for several years. One of the first pattern recognition algorithms used by banks to detect credit card fraud came from San Diego’s HNC software, which was acquired by FICO in the 1990s.
According to the survey, San Diego’s artificial intelligence expertise is focused on machine or deep learning, with 82 percent of employers working in AI being in the field that is fundamental to predictive analytics.
But local companies are also developing AI tools for image, voice or video recognition (46 percent), natural language processing (46 percent), robotics (24 percent) and autonomous vehicles (21 percent).
“The proliferation of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies promises to be a transformative force for businesses worldwide,” said Mark Cafferty, president and CEO of San Diego Regional EDC. “With this report, the EDC Research Bureau is helping to paint a picture of the impact of AI, demonstrate its potential to create jobs and even help reduce gender and racial wage gaps.”
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