Ohio’s powerful tech sector has rolled out the welcome mat for artificial intelligence, and by all accounts, it’s a perfect match and a boon for the economy. In fact, the emergence of AI in the Buckeye State has allowed the tech sector to garner significant national attention, particularly Columbus, which has even earned the moniker, “Silicon Heartland.”
The state’s become a technology and data center hub, attracting the world’s biggest names in technology, including Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Honda, Intel, and Meta. In 2022-2023 alone, Amazon Web Services announced a $7.8 billion investment in Central Ohio (and the second largest investment in state history) … Microsoft and Amazon purchased a few hundred acres in Licking County, near Intel… Intel began construction on a $20 billion semiconductor factory… and Meta announced it was expanding its data center in New Albany. These big names, along with a slew of startups, are hedging their bets on, and showing their commitment to, Ohio, purchasing prime land and investing in new and existing facilities.
The integration of artificial intelligence into the state’s tech sector is a natural evolution and a major reason why so many companies, both emerging and established, have chosen to call Ohio home. For example, in May 2023, Google announced plans to build two new data centers to support its AI technology. These investments will bring the global powerhouse’s total investment here to more than $2 billion. Google’s new data centers will be located in Columbus and Lancaster, which is also the site of other data centers operated by Amazon and Facebook.
And since Intel announced it was building a new semiconductor facility in 2022 (it’s slated to be finished by 2027) in New Albany, the region has witnessed an influx of new tech businesses. According to Licking County records, about two dozen companies have already purchased land and announced projects near the future Intel factory. The New Albany International Business Park alone is home to some 21,000 jobs, with many more expected in the years to come.
Ohio’s technology landscape is primed and ready for artificial intelligence. Ohio colleges and universities are rising to the occasion and producing graduates who are prepared to become the next generation of AI engineers and scientists. Whether you’re an aspiring engineer or computer scientist, a currently practicing one with plans to specialize in AI, or a career changer, you’ll find a wealth of undergraduate and graduate programs in artificial intelligence, both in Ohio and across the country, that are designed to arm you with the skills and knowledge to become a leader in this swiftly growing field.
How the Cleveland Clinic is Using AI to Deliver Better Healthcare
The Cleveland Clinic has become a model for innovation in AI, entering into public and private partnerships in recent years that are moving research and development in the field along at record speed.
For example, in 2021, the Cleveland Clinic and IBM announced the creation of the Discovery Accelerator partnership, which is focused on advancing biomedical research through high-performance computing like AI, quantum computing technologies, and hybrid cloud. This ten-year partnership, which draws from Cleveland Clinic’s research and IBM’s computing technologies, aims to find new approaches to patient care and public health threats. As part of this project, Cleveland Clinic welcomed IBM’s on-site quantum computer to its campus, which will be used as part of research efforts associated with Cleveland Clinic’s Global Center for Pathogen & Human Health Research – a hub of research in genomics, population health, drug discovery, and clinical solutions.
And in December 2023, the Cleveland Clinic announced that it was joining the AI Alliance, a group that was created by IBM and Meta to propel innovation in artificial intelligence. The AI Alliance will bring a host of companies together to create an open research environment that supports discoveries in artificial intelligence while also addressing safety and security concerns. Just some of the other participating organizations include Oracle, Dell Technologies, and Harvard University.
The Cleveland Clinic is home to the Center for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science (CAIDS), which was founded in 2022. The Center, which seeks collaboration with other institutes, physicians, researchers, and data scientists throughout the Cleveland Clinic health system, is designed to support and strengthen AI activities and initiatives aimed at research and advances in clinical care.
The goal of CAIDS is to make the Cleveland Clinic the “most Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning literate medical institution in the world” by providing educational resources; supporting research, quality, and operational initiatives of the Cleveland Clinic; serving as an incubator of AI/ML innovations; reimagining how clinicians diagnose and treat diseases; and more.
And in January 2024, a research team of scientists with the Cleveland Clinic and IBM announced they were using AI to find new ways to identify drug targets in the immune system. Specifically, they developed a new AI tool that is able to identify peptide antigens (foreign substances found in tumors, viruses, and bacteria) that are used by immune cells to recognize threats and trigger an immune response.
The Cleveland Clinic and IBM researchers found that AI models are able to accurately account for changes in immune cells and also accurately pinpoint how immune systems react and target an antigen. Though standard computing models currently exist, they are time-consuming and difficult to use. Being able to identify peptide antigens can prove to be a gamechanger in the field because researchers can use them to develop better vaccines and immunotherapies that can attack cancer cells or cells that have been infected with viruses.
AI Jobs in Ohio
According to CompTIA’s 2023 State of the Tech Workforce, Ohio ranks 13th in the nation for its number of tech jobs. As of 2022, there were about 270,462 tech jobs in the state, which represents about 4.8 percent of Ohio’s workforce. During this time, there were 18,202 tech businesses here.
CompTIA reports that tech jobs in Ohio increased by 2.9 percent between 2021 and 2022, which represents about 7,507 jobs. They project that jobs in the tech sector will increase again by about 2.1 percent between 2022 and 2023, which represents another 5,776 jobs.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, jobs for AI professionals in Ohio are projected to rise by 18 percent in the decade leading up to 2030 — from 620 jobs in 2020 to 730 jobs in 2030. During this ten-year period, the state should see about 60 annual job openings for AI engineers and scientists due to a blend of new job creation, retirements, and natural job turnover.
Artificial Intelligence Jobs in Columbus, Dayton, Fairborn, and Cincinnati
Ohio’s artificial intelligence professionals are experts in computer science, engineering, data analytics, robotics, and more. They have titles like machine learning engineers, research scientists, business intelligence developers, and computer vision engineers. And they’re developing and implementing AI solutions that are changing the face of business in nearly all industries.
- AI specialists at Infinite Management Solutions in Dayton manage and direct processes and R&D to realize the company’s AI strategy. These professionals also lead cross-functional teams and prioritize the ways in which AI solutions can drive business growth.
- AI/ML engineers at Riverside Research in Fairborn are responsible for AI/ML algorithm development for prototype applications aimed at remote sensing.
- AI/ML scientists at Elevance Health in St. Bernard develop experimental and analytic plans for ML algorithms and data modeling processes and spearhead initiatives for the development of ML, NLP, and LLM models.
- AI specialists at Westfield, a property and casualty (P&C) company in Westfield Center, assist the CL automated underwriting leader to ensure the quality and integrity of automated and transactional underwriting and pricing decisions in the company’s small business segment.
- AI engineers at Proctor & Gamble in Cincinnati engineer and develop AI factory capabilities to support P&G business.
- AI researchers at the Leidos Innovation Center in Dayton work as part of a high-performing research and development team to develop create and innovative interfaces for complex analytical data produced by AI/ML systems. AI researchers work at the company’s Air Force Research Laboratory customer site on Wright-Patterson AFB.
- Senior associates in AI/ML at JP Morgan Chase in Columbus develops data-centric solutions and work across teams to design, develop, and evaluate data science and analytical solutions.
- Data scientists (ML specialists) at Cardinal Health in Dublin lead the machine learning domain across the company’s business and technology teams. These professionals design and develop ML and deep learning solutions to maximize business value and effectiveness.
- ML software engineers at Meta in Columbus research, design, develop, and test operating systems-level software, compilers, and network distribution software.
AI Companies in Cincinnati and Columbus
Artificial intelligence in Ohio is driven by major multinationals like Google and Meta, along with emerging companies like Covington-based Flamel.ai, which has created an AI-powered social media management platform… Columbus-based Path Robotics, which creates AI-powered manufacturing robots for autonomous welding… and Layer, also headquartered in Columbus, which produces AI-powered co-pilots that allow users to interact with software programs through natural language.
Ohio is also firmly positioned at the intersection of public and private R&D in artificial intelligence. Students, faculty, scientists, and researchers alike are driving the creation of AI-powered tools and technologies that have the ability to dramatically disrupt nearly all industries.
For example, Ohio State University has a robust AI community of engineers, scientists, and scholars working together to advance the field through research, education, and policy. There’s more than 300 faculty members focused on AI research at OSU who have been awarded more than 600 federal awards valued at more than $235 million to advance AI research between FY2015-FY2022.
It’s also where you’ll find two new research institutes aimed at advancing artificial intelligence. They’re part of $220 million in funding for 11 new NSF-led National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes. The AI Institute for Intelligent Cyberinfrastructure with Computational Learning in the Environment (ICICLE) is focused on building tomorrow’s cyberinfrastructure, while the AI Institute for Future Edge Networks and Distributed Intelligence (AI-EDGE) is focused on advancing AI through mobile and stationary devices and computing and data servers.
OSU isn’t the only major player in university research in AI. For example, in June 2023, the University of Cincinnati and Case Western Reserve University both received funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to advance research in AI and ML.
Ohio is also home to the State of Ohio Computer Center (SOCC), which was established in 1987 as a computational research hub for Ohio’s research universities and private industry. SOCC, which is located in Columbus and is the largest state-owned facility of its kind in the Midwest, provides electrical and mechanical support systems for several Ohio government agencies and computing, software, and storage resources and services that support AI, ML, and data analytics.
AI Salary in Cincinnati
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), AI engineers and scientists in Ohio, who are categorized as computer and information research scientists by the BLS, earned a median salary of $122,260 as of May 2022. Those newest to the profession earned about $104,700 during this time, while those at the top of the pay scale earned about $157,640.
According to the BLS, AI professionals in the Cincinnati metro area earned a median salary of $90,030 as of May 2022, which is about $32,000 less than the state median.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Master’s Degree and Certificate Courses in Ohio and Online
From bachelor’s degrees to master’s degrees to graduate certificate programs, AI programs provide both aspiring and practicing AI professionals with the formal education they need to enter or advance in the field. In Ohio and throughout the country, a growing number of colleges and universities now offer both undergraduate and graduate degrees in this swiftly growing, interdisciplinary field.
Bachelor’s degrees in AI, which may be designed as stand-alone degrees or as part of computer science or engineering degrees, provide a comprehensive overview of AI alongside study in 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 degrees. For example, Kent State University offers an MS in AI through its Computer Science Department, while the University of Cincinnati offers a Master of Engineering in AI.
Largely designed to provide professionals in their respective fields with an advanced course of study in AI, these programs also frequently offer 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.
AI Computer Science Degree and Certificate Options in Kent
Computer science degrees and graduate certificate programs in AI prepare students with the technical knowledge and the research and development skills to apply artificial intelligence to a wide range of industries and sectors, including those requiring intelligent pattern-analysis and visualization of big data.
AI Engineering Degree and Certificate Options in Cincinnati
Engineering degrees and graduate certificate programs in AI offer students an in-depth examination of the study of artificial intelligence within engineering frameworks. These programs balance theory with the practical knowledge needed to apply engineering to real-world AI systems and processes.
Kent State University
College of Arts and Sciences
Kent, OH
Website
MS in AI (on-campus)
Total Estimated Program Cost: $13,860 ($925 per-credit out-of-state)
Total tuition comes in at $4,260 below the state average for similar programs.
University of Cincinnati (Public)
College of Engineering and Applied Science
Cincinnati, OH
Website
Master of Engineering in AI (MENG in AI) (on-campus)
Total Estimated Program Cost: $22,380 ($1,333 per-credit out-of-state)
Also offers: PhD in Computer Science and Engineering-Intelligent Systems research group
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.