EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

The allure of artificial intelligence (AI) emanates from the nearly infinite possibilities that it seems to offer to humanity. From robo-services, to sensing through walls, AI seems endlessly ‘smarter’ than humans, and the potential for new opportunities and solving age-old problems is almost unreal.

For reasons ranging from products to profits, businesses have come to embrace AI.

In the US, open position listings for artificial intelligence related jobs increased by 159% across the past year.

AI companies are eager to hire, and forward-thinking groups are looking towards international applicants to fill in the gaps. Excited about a new opportunity in a new corner of the world, many international employees are willing to relocate rather quickly.

In a survey of 27,000 digital experts throughout the world, most employees who expressed interest in working abroad would prefer to pursue opportunities in the US, Germany or Canada.

While the top companies on the tech scene typically receive the highest proportion of approved H-1B (foreign hire) visa applications, who is to say that other IT-based companies can’t compete?

With US companies shouldering relocation expenses for employees and their families, augmenting the talent pool just might prove possible.

In the long arc of generating a worldwide uptick in AI talent, Microsoft recently announced an initiative intended to train 15,000 new AI professionals by 2022. A global AI focused talent study indicates that few universities offer AI specific tracks. Among universities with artificial intelligence based classes, top professors are regularly poached by tech companies, stemming curricular offerings.

Although companies might possess the zeal and the willpower to train new or current employees in AI, an overall shortage of in-house experts may represent a barrier in implementing trainings. Online courses are a convenient solution in a pinch.

By 2030, AI is predicted to contribute $15.7 trillion to global economic growth, and to boost North America’s GDP by 14%, according to a PwC report. Artificial intelligence presents unimaginable promise. For 5 AI applications in banking to look out for in the next 5 years click here.

For more on this story, visit The Wall Street Journal.