Academia and industry alike know all too well that if you’re not ahead of the artificial intelligence curve, you’re already behind. Artificial intelligence is transforming how we use, analyze, and disseminate information and data, altering our very fabric of life and revolutionizing how nearly every industry tackles problems and find solutions. In Indiana, a manufacturing-forward state, the focus is on harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to pinpoint efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly alternatives to standard manufacturing practices.
In 2022, the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership spearheaded a powerful collaboration between Indiana universities and industry partners that’s designed to help state manufacturers use AI to reduce their carbon footprint. Called the AnalytiXIN manufacturing data analytics project, the project aims to increase factory efficiency and enhance sustainability using advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies.
This two-year partnership between Indiana University, Purdue, Notre Dame, and a number of private and nonprofit companies, including Amazon Web Services, Conexus Indiana, Energy Systems Network, and the Emerging Manufacturing Collaboration Center, will help manufacturers throughout the state harness the power of AI to improve their sustainability efforts and reduce energy consumption.
This joint endeavor will, of course, produce industry-focused research, along with educational resources that will provide university students with valuable, hands-on experience in AI. Researchers at these three, leading Indiana universities will collect and analyze data and create a raw data repository that will serve as a valuable tool for future education and research. Two programs are part of this larger partnership:
- AnalytiXIN – A digital community and collaboration hub in Indianapolis, where industry and academia research will intersect.
- Energy INsights – Helps Indiana manufacturers improve the efficiency of their operations by integrating AI and data science tools, as well as the newest computer and sensor hardware.
This focus on the integration of artificial intelligence into the manufacturing sector couldn’t be a better fit for Indiana, whose manufacturing sector comprises about 25 percent of its annual economic output. The Hoosier state is home to the highest concentration of manufacturing jobs in the nation and is where you’ll find about 9,000 manufacturing operations and a major focus on automotive production.
Indiana colleges and universities are priming tomorrow’s experts in artificial intelligence. Data scientists, research scientists, computer vision engineers, machine learning engineers… job titles in artificial intelligence are nearly as plentiful as the opportunities that are beginning to emerge in Indiana. Whether you’re looking for the undergraduate degree that will provide you with the education to get your foot in the door or the master’s degree or graduate certificate that will take your career in engineering, computer science, robotics, or business in a new direction, you’re sure to find an artificial intelligence program in Indiana that aligns with your educational and career goals.
Brainoware: The Next Frontier in AI Technology
Brain organoids?
It’s a term straight out of a science fiction novel, but at Indiana University, it’s a basic component of Brainoware – a cutting edge artificial intelligence technology that’s using clusters of lab-raised brain cells to solve mathematical problems and recognize speech. Really.
Researchers at IU Bloomington began by exploring the stem cells that create neurons – the building blocks of the brain. Though the research team didn’t aim to create a human brain, they did engineer a brain “organoid,” just a mere nanometer in length. Small but powerful, this nanometer of brain tissue was connected to a circuit board with electrodes and – voilà – Brainoware was born.
This bioengineering/AI marvel represents a hybrid computing system that combines human brain tissue with electronic hardware.
Unlike neuromorphic computing systems that are built on digital electronic principles, this computing system uses the brain organoid to send and receive information. The brain organoid acts “as an adaptive living reservoir to conduct unsupervised learning…” says Feng Guo, an associate professor of intelligent systems engineering at the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering.
The electrodes send the responses from the brain tissue to the circuit board, where machine learning algorithms decoded them. In just a brief training period, the researchers found that this unique combination of biological neurons and computational circuits was able to quickly decode patterns in speech and solve complex mathematical equations.
In addition to its ability to learn quickly, the team also reveled in Brainoware’s energy efficiency. Similar to a human brain’s functionality, it requires just 20 watts per day to operate instead of millions of watts used by conventional artificial neural networks.
The possible future applications of Brainoware are extensive, with the research team envisioning being able to use it to better understand neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s in the future.
AI Jobs in Indiana
Indiana’s tech sector is alive and well and growing by leaps and bounds. According to CompTIA’s State of the Tech Workforce, net tech employment in Indiana rose by 3.1 percent between 2021 and 2022, creating 3,525 new jobs during this time. CompTIA forecasts another 3 percent net increase of tech jobs between 2022 and 2023, which will translate to another 3,500 jobs.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, jobs for Indiana’s artificial intelligence professionals, who fall under the title of computer information and research scientists, are projected to increase by 20 percent in the years leading up to 2030, rising from 150 jobs in the field in 2020 to a projected 180 jobs by 2030. During this period, Indiana should see about 10 annual job openings due to a blend of new job growth, retirements, and natural job turnover.
Artificial Intelligence Jobs in Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, and Westfield
Artificial intelligence professionals in Indiana are developing and maintaining AI systems, building AI models, and developing new applications and systems that allow business and industry to improve performance and efficiency. For example:
- Generative AI – NLP data scientists at Lilly in Indianapolis are responsible for implementing generative AI models and identifying insights used to drive business decisions. These professionals are called upon to communicate insights and make recommendations and conduct research to identify emerging trends and technologies in GenAI.
- AI engineering consultants at SEP, a software company in Westfield, are part of an expanding area in the company that’s investigating how AI can be used to help existing clients and applied to multiple domains. These consultants help customers understand how AI can be used for their needs and advise them on the potential costs and impact of using AI.
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Security architects in generative AI at Concentrix in Indianapolis review the latest AI technology features and best practices to ensure that the company’s application security and risk management processes address risks. These professionals regularly conduct comprehensive assessments of the company’s generative AI platforms and identify potential vulnerabilities and threats. - AI/ML engineers at Humana in Indianapolis collaborate with data scientists, software developers, designers, and product managers to identify and implement new technologies, tools, and practices for Humana members. They contribute to the development of the company’s data preprocessing and modeling capabilities and work within a product team to automate the machine learning process in a big data cloud environment.
- Data scientists at Ameritas in Fort Wayne work as part of the data analytics team to identify how analytical and data science solutions can help deliver value.
AI Companies in Bloomington and Indianapolis
Indiana’s tech sector, which represents 4 percent of the state’s economy and delivers an economic impact of about $15.5 billion, is where you’ll find a thriving and swiftly growing artificial intelligence industry that’s taking the state by storm.
For example, Bloomington’s innovation tech corridor is home to innovations, breakthroughs, and a bevy of AI startups that are supported by the Bloomington Tech Partnership (BTP). The Mill, considered the heart of Bloomington’s tech ecosystem, is where you’ll find dozens of startups that are making their mark on the AI landscape. For example, RealCV is a startup that’s exploring how AI can be used to build a smart “skill translation” service for people looking to change careers or re-enter the workforce with their particular skillset.
Established companies with a focus on artificial intelligence are also a staple of Indiana’s economy, particularly in the Indianapolis metro area. For example, Watchman Security is using AI technology in its gun detection software to help prevent crime…. the software company Catipult.AI has developed an AI platform that’s used to help businesses track their strategic goals… and Atrium, an AI consulting services startup, recently expanded into Indianapolis, with plans to create about 38 new jobs by the end of 2023.
Indiana’s colleges and universities have gotten the memo about the growing AI field and are laser focused on making their own strides in the field, too. For example, in 2021, Indiana University opened its new AI research center, the $35 million Luddy Center for Artificial Intelligence. This Bloomington center is part of the university’s Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, which focuses on the study in computer science, informatics, cybersecurity, data science, intelligent systems engineering, and more.
Indiana University is also a principal organization in two of the U.S. National Science Foundation’s 11 new NSF National Artificial intelligence Research Institutes, which are focused on advancing AI to improve people’s lives. Researchers from the Luddy School and the IU School of Education are part of the team for the NSF AI Institute for Engaged Learning, which will work to advance computer vision, machine learning, and natural language processing to create AI-enriched learning environments for students.
AI Salary in Indiana
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), artificial intelligence engineers, scientists, and analysts in Indiana, who fall under the broader BLS category of computer and information research scientists, earned a median salary of $93,930 as of May 2022. Those with little experience earned about $83,620, while those with extensive experience and often graduate degrees in the field earned about $165,760 during this time.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Master’s Degree and Certificate Courses in Indiana and Online
While many of Indiana’s colleges and universities are still developing artificial intelligence master’s degrees and graduate certificate programs, you’ll still find a plethora of programs offered at schools throughout the country. And because many of these programs are offered in fully online formats, these degree and certificate programs are open to students in Indiana and across in the nation.
AI bachelor’s degrees, which are usually found in a school’s computer science department, are structured with a strong math and science foundation. As such, you can expect to take a number of advanced math courses like linear algebra, calculus, and probability. The AI curriculum of these programs is focused on AI theory, methodologies, and applications, and courses are focused on areas such as robotics, data science, and autonomous systems.
Master’s degrees and graduate certificate programs in AI provide a more advanced exploration of the field. There’s little consistency to these programs, with many schools offering them as part of computer science, engineering, robotics, data science, and even business degrees.
It’s commonplace for these programs to draw from many different schools, which reflects the interdisciplinary nature of AI. Many programs also feature options for specialization. For example, Indiana University Bloomington offers an MS in Intelligent Systems Engineering with opportunities to specialize in bioengineering, computer engineering, cyber-physical systems, environmental engineering, molecular and nanoscale engineering, and neuroengineering.
AI Engineering Degree and Certificate Options in Bloomington
AI engineering master’s degree programs are at the intersection of computational engineering and AI. These programs prepare students to use modern approaches and design principles to gather and analyze data.
Indiana University Bloomington
Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering
Bloomington, IN
Website
MS in Intelligent Systems Engineering (on-campus)
Offered with tracks in:
- General
- Bioengineering
- Computer Engineering
- Cyber-Physical Systems
- Environmental Engineering
- Molecular and Nanoscale Engineering
- Neuroengineering
Also offers:
- BS in Intelligent Systems Engineering
- PhD in Intelligent Systems Engineering
- BS in Computer Science-AI specialization
- MS in Human-Computer Interaction
Total Estimated Program Cost: $13,800 ($1,480 per credit out-of-state)
Only public AI master’s degree in Indiana.
2022 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for computer information and research scientists. Job growth projections from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, CareerOneStop. Figures are based on state data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed January 2024.