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What Software Engineers Need to Know About AI Jobs

Jobs in AI increased slightly, but the boom shows signs of quieting

An illustration of a person standing on top of a search engine query box with the word "jobs" in it.
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AI hiring has been growing at least slightly in most regions around the world, with Hong Kong leading the pack; however, AI careers are losing ground compared with the overall job market, according to the 2024 AI Index Report. This annual effort by Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) draws from a host of data to understand the state of the AI industry today.

Stanford’s AI Index looks at the performance of AI models, investment, research, and regulations. But tucked within the 385 pages of the 2024 Index are several insights into AI career trends, based on data from LinkedIn and Lightcast, a labor-market analytics firm.

Here’s a quick look at that analysis, in four charts.

Overall hiring is up—a little

But don’t get too excited—as a share of overall labor demand, AI jobs are slipping

Python is still the best skill to have

Machine learning loses luster

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