Major U.S. cities dominate wave of gen AI jobs
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES — A report by the Brookings Institution reveals a rise in generative artificial intelligence (AI) job opportunities concentrated in major cities in the United States (U.S.), reflecting past trends seen in tech industry growth.
The study utilized Lightcast job listings and discovered nearly half of the generative AI jobs posted in May were concentrated in just six metro areas. The Bay Area, encompassing San Francisco and San Jose, led with 25% of new job listings. Other significant contributors included New York City, Los Angeles, Boston, and Seattle.
Mark Muro, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and the report’s co-author, cautioned about this geographic concentration’s potential to limit tech diversification and exclude regions from this tech growth.
“These data show that AI, for all of its uniqueness, appears in many respects set to repeat the usual intense clustering of core tech activity in just a few places, like the Bay Area, that has characterized wave after previous wave of digital buildout. While that allows for efficient innovation, it can lock out many places and technology options,” he added.
The report proposed strategies to promote geographic diversity in the generative AI industry. These include expanding public sector research, providing broader access to AI resources and training, and allocating government funding to stimulate development in diverse areas.
ChatGPT creator Sam Altman believes that the nature of these roles could benefit from in-person collaboration, a significant factor for startups.
