NJ Is Moving Forward as Global AI Leader
State initiatives helping state employees, startup companies, and established businesses.
On a clear, crisp morning in late March, Gov. Phil Murphy was joined by representatives of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA), Princeton University, Microsoft and CoreWeave to unveil the NJ AI Hub, a state-of-the-art, flexible space located along New Jersey’s Route 1 “innovation corridor” in West Windsor.
“With the opening of the NJ AI Hub, we are moving forward in establishing New Jersey as a global leader in technology and innovation,” said Murphy, who created the Artificial Intelligence Task Force in 2023 to help position New Jersey as a destination for innovators, investors, and researchers in generative AI.
The NJ AI Hub represents a $72-million investment – including up to $25 million of non-binding commitment from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority – as well as the latest in collaborative efforts between the state’s public, private and academic sectors. It’s location near major research institutions like Princeton and Rutgers universities, AI business leaders and startups, and population centers like New York City and Philadelphia will contribute to a thriving regional AI economy and continued innovation and development, according to NJEDA CEO Tim Sullivan.
“AI will create hundreds of family-sustaining jobs and foster long-term economic growth and competitiveness for the state,” he says. “Through the AI Hub’s accelerator, cohorts of start-up ventures will have access to essential support services such as workspace, compute power, legal assistance, and business development advice, as well as mentorship and networking opportunities through the Hub’s corporate partners.”
To build up New Jersey’s AI talent pool, the Hub is joining forces with the state’s higher education institutions, which have recognized the importance of AI and are expanding and creating new degree programs in the field. This includes Kean University, which recently added a Ph.D. in Computer Science and a Bachelor of Science in AI; NJIT, which has introduced new graduate programs, including a Master’s in AI and a graduate certificate program in AI; Rutgers University, which offers a Master of Science (MS) in computer science with a concentration in AI and machine learning; Stevens Institute of Technology, which offers a Bachelor of Science (BS) in computer science with a concentration in AI and machine learning; and Rowan University, which offers a Bachelor of Science in computer science with a concentration in AI. These degrees can lead to high-paying jobs: the average AI engineer salary in New Jersey is $190,000 per year, with entry level positions starting at $145,500 and experienced workers earning up to $212,500 annually.
Also supporting the AI workforce is Microsoft’s TechSpark Program, which has helped secure more than $700 million in community funding for local innovation, trained 65,000 people in critical technology skills, and created 4,500 jobs nationwide since its 2017 founding.
At the same time, the Hub is focusing on AI applications in sectors that already have strong footprints in New Jersey, including life sciences, clean energy/climate resilience, telecommunications/cybersecurity, and infrastructure/logistics.
The NJ AI Hub isn’t the only facility driving New Jersey’s AI advancement. Earlier in March, the governor was also on hand to introduce SHI International’s AI & Cyber Labs facility in Piscataway, which is equipped with NVIDIA’s AI Enterprise software platform and designed to help customers leverage rapid advances in AI solutions and the infrastructure behind them.
“SHI is well aware of New Jersey’s rich history of innovation, and we are proud to help support many of the local research universities and multi-national telecom and pharmaceutical giants that develop the new innovations that compete in the global marketplace,” says Ed McNamara, SHI’s director of communications and marketing.
“We envision the AI & Cyber Labs facility has the potential to be the hub of future AI-driven innovation.”
According to McNamara, the new facility will also mitigate the up-front risk of AI projects – 70% fail in the proof-of-concept stage, according to experts – by allowing customers to test equipment in a secure environment before deciding which on-premises hardware (or cloud-based AI solution) is right for their unique environment.
“Customers will be able to consult with experts on their entire data center design, not just the software and hardware running in it,” he says. “Our global network can deliver advanced data center solutions, including server configuration, rack building, imaging, and networking solutions to customers around the world. This end-to-end solution approach, combining lab services with the Data Center Factory, ensures customers can quickly and seamlessly transition from experimentation to full-scale implementation.”
In addition to these state-of-the-art centers, AI is also being advanced through the Next New Jersey Program, established by the governor last year with the goal of attracting new investment in the state’s AI industry. Administered by the NJEDA, it awards tax credits to eligible businesses pushing forward the AI economy, especially AI data centers.
Also in 2024, New Jersey’s Office of Innovation launched an AI Assistant for state employees, giving them access to an AI tool that can be used securely within the New Jersey government IT infrastructure.
“The idea is that all state employees have a safe and simple way to test the potential of AI, along with training, so we can start to harness its potential,” says recently appointed state Chief Artificial Intelligence Strategist Beth Noveck, who also serves as a Co-Chair of the Governor’s Task force on AI.
Article sourced from New Jersey Business Magazine.