Artificial Intelligence

Skills Gap Report 2019



3
4
5
6
7
10

Artificial Intelligence Skills Gap Report 2019 2

Introduction
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is today’s most
exciting technological frontier. Systems that
are capable of simulating intelligent behavior
are already being used to combat fraud, help
smart speakers answer you back, and make
it easier to hail a ride-share when you want
it. And AI is just getting started. In the future,
everything from autonomous transportation
systems to advanced robotics will be made
possible through AI.
With so many exciting possibilities,
investment in AI has increased at an
intense pace. No industry wants to miss
out on AI’s potential, and so spending on
new technology and research has grown
exponentially in just the last few years.
Artificial Intelligence Skills Gap Report 2019
Surging investment means that new jobs in
AI are emerging every day. There has never
been a greater need for people with the
specialist skills and hands-on experience to
research, develop, and implement advanced
AI systems. AI specialists are in
hot demand, and are able to choose top
employers who are willing to pay high
salaries to land them.
This means that right now is an excellent
moment to build your employees AI skills.
The industry is growing fast, and demand
for talent vastly outstrips the number
of qualified AI professionals. Providing
opportunities to your employees to learn
critical AI tools and concepts is the best way
to be a part of AI’s thrilling future and work
transformation.
3
Industry Demand
The AI job market has grown at an incredible rate in the last five years and it isn’t slowing
down, thus creating a significant skill gap. Forecasts are predicting millions of new AI jobs by
early next decade. Thousands of new AI startups have launched, and established companies
are investing heavily to increase their AI capacities. Put simply, industry demand for AI talent
has never been higher!

4.5X GROWTH IN JOBS REQUIRING AI 2.3M NEW AI-RELATED JOBS

SKILLS IN THE US SINCE 2013. 2021
1 2
PROJECTED BY .

1,100 NEW AI STARTUPS EMERGED SINCE

OVER
2016, FUELING DEMAND FOR AI SKILLS. 3

GLOBAL ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND MACHINE

LEARNING SPENDING IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE FROM
$12B IN 2017 TO . $57.6B BY 2021
5

1. AI INDEX REPORT 2017, 2. GARTNER, 3. CB INSIGHTS, 4. DATA VIA LINKEDIN, WANTED ANALYTICS, AND GLASSDOOR, 5. DELOITTE

Artificial Intelligence Skills Gap Report 2019 4

Uses of AI Today
There are many exciting applications for AI on the horizon. But it isn’t all going to happen
sometime in the future it's happening now. AI is already being used in more industries than you
might realize. From healthcare, to investments, to recommending your next must-see film, the
world of AI includes a huge number of amazing applications that are being used right now.1

CONSUMER GOODS LEGAL

• Smart speakers like Amazon Alexa • Research and due diligence
• Home security cameras with facial • Document analysis
recognition • Contract review
• Face filters on social media apps like
Instagram

FINANCE MANUFACTURING
• Investment management aka • Material flaw detection
robo-advisors • Robotics
• Fraud prevention • Supply chain management
• Automated check deposits

HEALTH CARE AGRICULTURE

• Medical imaging and diagnostics like • Identify areas of high or low crop yield
skin cancer detection • Identify health of a crop
• X-Rays and MRIs
• Medical record management

TRANSPORTATION ENTERTAINMENT
• Self-driving cars • Recommendation engines as seen
• Drones and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Spotify or Netflix
(UAVs) • Virtual reality
• Traffic directions optimized for • Augmented reality apps like
efficiency Pokémon GO

1. GARTNER

Artificial Intelligence Skills Gap Report 2019 5

Skills Shortage
The demand for AI talent is far outpacing the
availability of skilled researchers.1
AN ESTIMATED 2.3M
PEOPLE ARE
NEEDED TO FILL THE GLOBAL AI
TALENT POOL.2 HOWEVER, THERE ARE
ONLY 300K
CURRENT GLOBAL AI
RESEARCHERS AND PRACTITIONERS.3
Successful companies are providing training to their current employees to gain proficiency,
throughout solutions like Udacity Enterprise.
Top Skills
• Programming Skills: Diversity of
skills e.g, C++, Python, TensorFlow,
Theano, Java, R
• Research & Development: Strong
research skills, productizing and
development
• Model Building & Deployment
1. CB INSIGHTS, 2. GARTNER, 3. BLOOMBERG
Artificial Intelligence Skills Gap Report 2019
The AI talent pool is still very small. Investment
in AI has increased with such astonishing
speed that the demand for AI professionals
far outpaces supply. In a host of different
industries, companies have found they must
compete for talented employees with the right
AI skills and experience to meet their needs.
• Statistical Analysis (MatLab, R,
Rstudio, SAS) and Test Design
• Algorithm Design, Training,
Performance Measurement
Experimentation
• Data Mining & Curation
• Business Metric Optimization
6
Qualifications By Job Level
AI is a truly cutting-edge field, so the industry is still standardizing the skills and qualifications
specialists at different levels need. But it’s clear that knowledge of AI tools and concepts,
combined with practical experience, is a priority for many recruiters. And it’s also clear that the
shortage of AI talent means skilled professionals can command impressive salaries, no matter
what stage they are at in their AI career.1

While standardization is yet to come to AI industry postings, it is

clear that seniority levels are flattened due to the shortage of skilled
individuals, as those with 5+ years of experience are considered senior.

Artificial Intelligence Career Landscape

CAREER ENGINEER SCIENTIST RESEARCHER PRODUCT
TRACK/TITLE MANAGER
MACHINE
LEARNING
DATA
SCIENCE
RESEARCH &
DEVELOPMENT
DATA
ENGINEERING
AUTONOMOUS
SYSTEMS

1. DATA VIA GLASSDOOR, PAYSA, LINKEDIN, AND WANTED ANALYTICS

Artificial Intelligence Skills Gap Report 2019 7

Top Skills by levels1

ENTRY LEVEL MID LEVEL SENIOR

• 0 years of AI experience • 3+ years of AI experience • Master’s or PhD AI degree

• Strong programming skills:
C++, Python, R, Java
• Ability to test algorithms
• Data curation experience
• Create datasets to feed into
algorithms
• AI field related coursework in AI related field
• Strong programming & data • 5+ years of AI experience
curation skills: C++, Python, • Ability to turn AI ideas
R, Java, PyTorch, TensorFlow into products to optimize
• Experience writing business functions
algorithms • Ability to show value of
• Experien collaborate with AI technologies to key
a small team to create new stakeholders
products • Ability to lead AI team

Simple Career Path

LEAD
SOFTWARE MACHINE
ENGINEER LEARNING
ENGINEER

SENIOR
MACHINE
LEARNING
ENGINEER

MACHINE DIRECTOR
LEARNING OF MACHINE
ENGINEER LEARNING

1. DATA VIA INDEED

Artificial Intelligence Skills Gap Report 2019 8

Bridging the Gap
While skills and training initiatives play catch-up, ballooning salaries, scarce talent, and an
aggressively competitive hiring landscape means that the race is already on between those
who stand to gain the most from AI through the ability to adopt early on, and those who will be
trailing behind in their dust. This is what the AI skills gap looks like—and right now, it’s a gap that
is only widening. The growing disparity between the hiring power of companies and the present
scarcity of AI talent has big implications, not only for determining the winners and losers of the
AI revolution, but for the future of the workforce itself. This is no longer a ‘simple’ question of
technology, but of skills, personnel, and strategy. As AI technologies become a reality, companies
and their workforce must keep up—and they must do so quickly.

Udacity for Enterprise provides a customized, end-to-end learning solution for your company
and workforce. We help you transform your workforce and immediately enable innovation
across your organization.

Learn more at www.udacity.com/enterprise.

Artificial Intelligence Skills Gap Report 2019 9