Coming Soon: The HCAIM Industry Needs and Market Analysis on Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence

In recent years, and especially, against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, ethical considerations across all research domains have risen to the forefront, and artificial intelligence makes no exception. Probably, the most affected component in the AI ecosystem is the data.

Even prior to the outburst of the pandemic, the European Data Strategy identified the establishment of the European Union as a role model for a society empowered by data, as a key aim [1]. Doubling the number of data science professionals to over 10 million within Europe, a key element of the European Data Strategy, consequently, poses a significant challenge to the field of data science and artificial intelligence, further including requirements about the ethical collection, processing, and storage of data to address these market needs.

By the same token, a High-Level Expert Group of the EC presented ethics guidelines for trustworthy AI, to ensure ethical, trustworthy, and robust AI development [2]. Similarly, global efforts, including by recognized universities such as Stanford and MIT have launched their own initiatives in human-centered artificial intelligence, recognizing the pivotal role of AI for the well-being and prosperity of society and citizens alike.

However, as stated by the High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence of the EU, “ensuring Trustworthy AI requires us to build and maintain an ethical culture and mindset through public debate, education and practical learning” [3], which requires ensuring equal access to formal and informal education on ethical and trustworthy artificial intelligence.

For this purpose, our consortium, a group of European universities, excellence centers, and SMEs have come together to develop a combined AI program, addressing the market and industry needs with regard to human-centered artificial intelligence.

The Needs and Market Analysis is among the first project outputs, and its purpose is to inform us, as well as our relevant stakeholders or other parties, developing educational solutions in the sector of Artificial Intelligence, on the industry needs and expectations of the labor market towards new professionals and their education.

We are happy to announce that we are ready with the first draft of this market analysis, and soon we will be able to disseminate it, to interested parties. As part of our efforts related to the creation of this analysis, we have interviewed industry representatives, and conducted focus group interviews and a survey, to provide a multi-faceted view of the requirements of the industry.

The outcomes of this research will help support, especially, representatives from educational and academic organizations, willing to provide an up-to-date curriculum for artificial intelligence, in line with the needs of the industry to combat the mismatch between supply and demand in the field.

If you are willing to receive an advance copy of the market analysis, feel free to contact us and subscribe to our newsletter, the first issue of which will be coming at the end of October.

[1] European Commission. A European Strategy for Data. February 2020. Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic, and Social Committee, and the Committee of the Regions. Available online here.
[2] European Commission. High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence. Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI. April 2019. Available online here.
[3] European Commission. High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence. Ethics Guidelines for Trustworthy AI. April 2019. Page 9. Available online here.