Artificial intelligence has quickly made its way from research labs to the real world, solving problems, offering insights, and changing the way we do business, how we approach healthcare, how we tackle issues like climate change and wildlife conservation… and how our society functions.
AI’s impact can be felt across Delaware. It’s found a place in the state’s transportation system, in its cybercrime prevention efforts, and in public safety initiatives. For example, DelDOT was awarded a federal grant to implement an AI-based integrated transportation management system that uses AI to monitor roadways and manage traffic patterns based on weather conditions, work zones, accidents, and more. The system’s AI and machine learning algorithms work with the existing transportation management practices to improve safety and optimize performance on Delaware roads.
And thanks to AI-powered programs, more than 500 billion cyber threats to Delaware businesses were blocked in the last quarter of 2022 alone, as reported by Delaware state CIO, Jason Clarke in March 2023. AI can identify threats that can be further investigated by cyber teams.
Artificial intelligence has just begun shaping the future of Delaware, spurring a growing need for professionals in computer science, engineering, data science, business, robotics, and much more. This emerging field demands professionals with a strong skillset – one that’s grounded in formal education. Luckily, undergraduate and graduate degrees in AI are growing in numbers, preparing students to become the next generation of experts who will guide and influence Delaware’s AI journey well into the future.
How Delaware is Using the Power of AI to Create Advanced Flood Detection and Evacuation Plans
From Rehoboth to Dewey, Delaware beaches are a popular respite for summertime fun, but they’re also vulnerable to severe flooding, largely due to their low elevation. (Delaware has the lowest average elevation in the country.) When flooding is imminent, evacuation plans can – and do – become not just difficult but simply overwhelming for officials at the Delaware Transportation Management Center, particularly in the height of the summer season when tourists flock to the state’s many beach towns.
But things are about to change, thanks to $5 million in federal infrastructure money. Delaware is using this influx of funds to create AI-powered evacuation software to monitor conditions in real-time and institute efficient evacuation plans. They’re working with BlueHalo, a Virginia-based software company, to develop the software.
No longer will officials be tasked with overseeing thousands of data sources and sending crews to scenes to reroute drivers or block flooded roadways. Instead, the technology will use sensors to detect – and then predict – adverse weather conditions and then alert drivers through cellphone alerts and highway signs.
This AI-powered technology was used successfully by researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology, who found that the system could detect flood threats in minutes.
AI Jobs in Delaware
Delaware’s outlook for AI jobs looks very promising. According to 2022 statistics from the Stanford University’s Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence’s 2023 AI Index Report, Delaware reported a higher number of job openings than the national average – about 2.7% above the national average.
A growing number of AI jobs makes sense in a state that’s quickly becoming known as a tech hub. In fact, Wilmington recently became part of the Greater Philadelphia Region (including Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington) Precision Medicine Tech Hub, led by Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern PA. This designation came as part of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) Tech Hubs program, a federal government initiative created to help regions become global competitors as the U.S. escalates its high-tech manufacturing efforts.
This designation will draw on Delaware’s growth in biotechnology, medical technology, genomics, synthetic biology supported by artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotics.
Artificial Intelligence Jobs in Wilmington and Dover
There’s a strong future ahead for Delaware in the field of AI, as is evidenced by the growing number of jobs in the field. The following is a small sampling of where you’ll find exciting AI jobs in Delaware:
- Data analytics professionals, as part of the machine learning (ML) intelligence analytics team at JPMorgan Chase in Wilmington, optimize Chase’s ML technologies in business products. They work as a team to investigate and explain key performance drivers and business impacts and identify production flaws.
- AI scientists in image-guided therapy at Siemens in Dover devise AI approaches for real-time analyses and modeling of interventional images, computer vision, multi-modal image fusion, and medical robotics for minimally invasive interventions. They’re part of the Digital Technology and Innovation Center, the company’s central hub for R&D in artificial intelligence and digital innovation.
- Data scientists at Highmark Health in Dover build new analytical solutions that inform business processes and support specific business questions, programs, and initiatives.
- Senior AI engineering managers at Change Healthcare in Dover deliver cutting-edge solutions for patients, hospitals, and insurance companies.
AI Companies in Wilmington and Newark
From emerging startups to established leaders, Delaware AI companies are changing how Delaware companies operate, reach customers, achieve organizational efficiency, and provide high-quality, competitive products and services.
For example, StratFI, a boutique investment advisory firm in Wilmington, uses AI to forecast daily movements in the stock market up to five years in advance. Their ML module considers seasonality, calendrical effects, and historical probabilities to assign an AI-weighted factor that’s then used to build a daily forecasting model.
AI startups are growing by leaps and bounds in Delaware. For example, infra ai in Wilmington has an AI technology that’s designed to help city employees determine where maintenance and other road services are needed most. And Wilmington’s WhipFlip designed a proprietary AI tool to make a near-instantaneous offer for a vehicle. Customers upload some basic information and photos of the vehicle they’re selling using the WhipFlip app. If the user accepts the offer from WhipFlip, a concierge team arrives to pick up the car, which is then delivered to a dealer for resale.
AI certainly isn’t relegated to private business and industry, either. For example, Tech Impact in Wilmington is a nonprofit organization that offers technology services to other nonprofits. Using AI, they help other nonprofits collect data on the community, store it in an ethical way, and then optimize it to make predictions that are used for social good. This may include everything from housing to healthcare to workforce development. Tech Impact merged with the Delaware Data Innovation Lab (DDIL) in 2021 to help communities and nonprofits leverage data and technology to better serve the world.
There’s a lot happening in Delaware’s colleges and universities, too. The University of Delaware’s AI Center of Excellence conducts multidisciplinary research across campus and facilitates teams of AI partners both within the university and with outside industrial and academic partners to apply technological solutions and create impactful and beneficial AI projects.
AI Salary in Wilmington
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), AI professionals in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington (PA-NJ-DE) metropolitan area, who fall under the broader BLS category of computer and information research scientists, earned a median salary of $115,200 as of May 2022.
Those with little to no experience earned about $81,430 during this time, while those with extensive experience and advanced education earned $187,650 or more.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Master’s Degree and Certificate Courses in Delaware and Online
Though formal degree programs are still emerging in Delaware, a growing number of colleges and universities across the country now offer both undergraduate and graduate degrees in AI that are delivered in fully online formats. These programs offer unmatched convenience and flexibility for students with busy work schedules or geographical limitations.
From bachelor’s degrees to master’s degrees to graduate certificate programs, you’ll find many online AI programs designed for different career goals, from straight AI engineering to programs that simply teach the tools and how to apply them in business and other fields.
AI bachelor’s degrees, which are usually offered as part of a computer science program or designed as stand-alone degrees, are grounded in math and science. Required courses often include linear algebra, calculus, probability, and analytic geometry. The AI core includes a broad overview of AI, data science, ethics, and recent trends in AI.
Master’s degrees in AI are designed either as stand-alone degrees or as part of engineering, computer science, data science, or business programs. Largely designed to provide professionals in their respective fields with an advanced course of study in AI, these programs also often come with concentration options. For example, AI master’s degrees in computer science may include options to specialize in areas like machine learning, data science, cybersecurity, and computer vision.
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 November 2023.