Prospective tech founders will find no shortage of available talent in the Phoenix metro area. Higher education in the region is embracing new technologies like AI, producing a new generation of skilled workers excited to break into the industry.
Earlier this year, Arizona State University entered into a new collaboration with OpenAI, the artificial intelligence tech organization, most associated with ChatGPT. ASU is one of only two universities in collaboration with OpenAI, the other institution being the University of Michigan.
In an Inside Higher Tech interview, ASU chief information officer Lev Gonick said ASU is taking a two-pronged, “laser-focused” approach to harnessing this collaboration with OpenAI, as opposed to what Gonick called a “spray painting method to see what sticks.” This approach seeks input from both faculty and students on how best to utilize OpenAI and integrate it into the university’s pedagogy.
This partnership follows Maricopa County Community College District 2022 announcement of its collaboration with Intel, the multinational technology company, and the Arizona Commerce Authority, to create Arizona’s first wave of AI focused certifications and degree programs. Maricopa Community Colleges will be some of the first institutions in the nation to educate students and workers on AI, further driving the growing demand in the region for artificial intelligence technology and the skilled talent required to work with this emerging technology.
More recently in August 2024, Maricopa County Community College District continued its venture into AI by joining the National Applied Artificial Intelligence Consortium, in partnership with Miami Dade College and Houston Community College. The NAAIC aims to foster growth of technician-level artificial intelligence professionals across the nation and will receive $2.8 million from the National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education program.
In a press release, Dr. Steven R. Gonzales, Chancellor of Maricopa County Community College District said, “We are proud to join the NAAIC initiative. Collaboration among the three institutions will allow us to bridge the AI skills gap and develop transformative learning opportunities for our students. By embedding advanced AI training into our curriculum. MCCCD will equip the next generation of professionals with the experience needed to drive innovation and spur economic growth, creating both a national and global impact.”
The NAAIC already exists within an expansive network of tech industry partners like Intel, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Dell, International Business Machines, and NVIDIA, among others, that will help provide AI resources to consortium members. A national AI business and industry leadership team will work with NAAIC to identify current and emerging needs of the AI workforce to ensure the curriculum and competencies of the colleges and programs meet industry standards and expectations.
In addition, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), is building its third chip factory in Arizona, nearing a total of $65 billion of TSMC spending in the state, continuing the percolation of the Phoenix area that is brewing to become one of the next major tech ecosystems in the nation.
Higher education in the Valley of the Sun is embracing AI and quickly producing the next generation of tech professionals set to join the booming tech industry. This is highlighted by the jump in population of people in their 20s with a college degree residing in the Phoenix metro area, a 33% increase between 2017 and 2022, the fourth-ranked U.S. market with the biggest gain. Founders looking to start their businesses in the area will have a large pool of available talent to pick from when building their teams.
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