How AI Will Define New Industries

While it's likely AI will create new jobs, its more immediate (and lasting) potential is in helping advance the science that underlies new industries. If you were a brilliant artificial intelligence (AI) expert just graduating from a doctoral program at a prestigious school, would you pursue that startup you've been thinking about, join a company that wants to build cutting-edge AI applications, or use your expertise to help scientists in other fields conduct basic research? Admittedly, this is a bit of a silly question. The opportunities presented by the first two options are outrageous, and growing more outrageous by the day. With more than 2,000 startups absorbing much of the top-tier AI talent -- estimated by some to be just 10,000 individuals worldwide -- the combination of great scarcity and even greater demand for talent is driving salaries through industry roofs.