AI in NYC
NYC: AI’s World Capital
New York City is a clear leader when it comes to the opportunities around Artificial Intelligence (AI). With the second largest concentration of AI companies in the nation, NYC is exceeding the Bay Area in number of job postings and is ranked number one for AI job roles.
The growth of AI in NYC is following the same trajectory as the early days of the tech boom, driving innovation throughout the incredible diversity of large industries that call NYC home—from Media to Finance, from Legal to Healthcare, and everything in between. The opportunities for AI-driven innovation in NYC’s industries are undeniable.
AI by the Numbers
By The Numbers
40K
Workers in the NYC region with AI/AI-adjacent skills.
By The Numbers
$21.4B
VC funding to NYC AI companies from 2018-2022, up from $3.8B in the previous 5 years
By The Numbers
11.3%
NYC’s share of nationwide VC funding to AI companies from 2018-2022, up from 7.7% in the previous 5 years.
By The Numbers
$21.4B
VC funding to NYC AI companies from 2018-2022, up from $3.8B in the previous 5 years
By The Numbers
40K
Workers in the NYC region with AI/AI-adjacent skills.
By The Numbers
11.3%
NYC’s share of nationwide VC funding to AI companies from 2018-2022, up from 7.7% in the previous 5 years.
New York City staked its claim among global leaders on artificial intelligence governance with the release of its landmark AI Action Plan. As we continue to implement the plan, the knowledge and experiences of city government and industry experts will play an integral role in sharpening our thinking and efforts.
AI’s Home in NYC
Academia + Research
Established in 2012 with support from NYCEDC, the Data Science Institute at Columbia University has been advancing state-of-the-art data science and the responsible use of data to benefit society. Over 1,100 students have graduated with an MS in Data Science from the program with a 95 percent job or internship placement rate within three months of graduation. NYU recently announced a partnership with KAIST and the Republic of Korea to establish a major AI research center. NYU has also been home to the Center for Responsible AI since 2020 focused on accelerating responsible AI practices.
By the Numbers
$400M
public-private investment in Empire AI to make NY the national leader in AI research
In early 2024, Empire AI, an unprecedented research consortium, was established. This $400 million public-private initiative will make New York a national artificial intelligence leader. The initiative will create a groundbreaking computational facility where university researchers from CUNY, SUNY, NYU, Columbia, Cornell Tech, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute can collaborate—bringing together AI researchers, scientists, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and others to allow for greater efficiencies of scale through shared compute power.
By the Numbers
355K
people employed in the NYC tech ecosystem
Community
On the ecosystem front, Data Driven NYC, founded in 2011 and run by FirstMark Capital, is the world’s largest Big Data & AI community at over 20,000 members strong. Additionally, having completed its eighth year, the AI Summit has served as a hub for both the industry and practitioners showcasing tech leaders and the application of AI for commercialization use cases.
Government
NYC is a place where AI can also be put to work. The City of New York issued the first-of-its-kind AI Action Plan in 2023. Released by the Office of Technology and Innovation, this plan creates a blueprint for responsible use of AI and identifies the opportunity for AI to improve services and processes across government.
By the Numbers
1,400
AI companies in NYC
Tech in NYC
Over the last decade, a revolution in NYC’s tech sector has turned the city into the number two tech ecosystem in the world. Tech companies want to be in NYC for the access to diverse and highly educated talent, to capital, and to consumers and customers.
A Tech Revolution
By The Numbers
467K
residents with STEM degrees
By The Numbers
67%
growth rate of STEM employment, higher than the overall private-sector growth rate (14%)
By The Numbers
$200B
VC capital raised by NYC startups since 2011, as much as London, Singapore, and Hong Kong combined
By The Numbers
67%
growth rate of STEM employment, higher than the overall private-sector growth rate (14%)
By The Numbers
467K
residents with STEM degrees
By The Numbers
$200B
VC capital raised by NYC startups since 2011, as much as London, Singapore, and Hong Kong combined
NYC AI in the News
NYC AI Meetups and Conferences
NYC AI Nonprofits
NYC AI Programs
NYCEDC is leading the way and building a strategy to foster the AI ecosystem in NYC. Want to get involved?