Earlier boys and girls wanted to be football players or teachers. In the near future, they may choose to become computer scientists. artificial intelligence (AI). “As a kid, I loved fixing and building my own computers,” explains Andreu Gascón. Now, at the age of 18, she is immersed in the degree that the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) launched in 2021. growing demand for both private businesses as of public administration To have professionals trained in this field.
For years the industry has condemned this. lack of national talentl in AI reduced growth potential. agreed solution to end mismatch between jobs in demand and still scarce supply specialists undergo training. According to a report by advanced analytics firm Iberinform, there are currently as many as 52 academic institutions across the country offering AI training, both university degrees and specialist master’s degrees. Most have been around for years, but 12% have been created in the last ten years.
However, academics stress that it is necessary to extend this educational commitment to artificial intelligence. Although they receive around 450 applications each year, the master’s degree jointly awarded by the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), the Universitat de Barcelona (UB) and the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) admits only 50 students. “We wonder why Generalitat hasn’t made more room (…) we may have 25 more students,” says Ulises Cortés, program coordinator and researcher with 40 years of industry experience. HE IS interest in expanding vacancies The degree is also awarded at Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), which has only 40 students.
Increasing interest in artificial intelligence
The standardized popularity of deep learning tools (‘Deep Learning’ in English) has awakened, from Siri (Apple) or Alexa (Amazon) voice assistants to Tesla’s autonomous cars. more and more young people’s “total interest” in AI, also from people outside of this type of science. “Our challenge is to solve the mystery of artificial intelligence. There’s a lot of talk about science fiction and machines that will dominate the world, but it’s really about mathematical models to solve specific problems,” explains Anders Jonsson, Director of Artificial Intelligence and Learning Research. Group. Head of study for auto and engineering degrees at UPF.
“Our challenge is to solve the mystery of artificial intelligence. There’s a lot of talk about machines that will dominate the world, but it’s about mathematical models to solve specific problems.”
According to the CYD Foundation, the number of students studying mathematics in Spain increased by 28% between 2016 and 2021, reaching the current 13,202. At UPF, the number of applications for this degree has skyrocketed from 90 to 215 in four years. UAB’s exceeded 300 applications.
Many later discover their interest in artificial intelligence and specializing in master’s degrees Like UPC’s. That’s the case of Lucía Urcelay, a 23-year-old biomedical engineer. “In my third year of my degree, I realized that I wanted to dedicate myself to applying artificial intelligence to medicine and health,” she explains. This is the case of Marta Barroso, a 27-year-old artificial intelligence researcher who chose the same path after studying computer science. “AI allows me to be creative and help people at the same time,” adds she.
high occupancy
artificial intelligence work equivalent to having a well-paying job. This is another reason why more and more young people are taking an interest in this complex science. “When you enter, you already know that you will leave here with a lot of job connections and a well-paying job,” Andreu explains. “You’re lucky to love a profession with so many selling points.” According to Jonsson, this is why an increasing number of students want to do their ultimate AI-related projects.
Among the five engineering degrees at UPF, male and female student fill rates fluctuated from a minimum of 75.95% in 2017 to a maximum of 98% in 2021. This is in response to the growing demand for professionals demanded by more and more companies. for. “Our students have never unemploymentthey find employment during their education or their master’s degree,” adds Cortés.
“Our students have never been unemployed, they find jobs while they study or graduate”
Fix the gender gap
Education is also needed to correct the deep gender gap affecting the industry. Women represent only 0.5% the number of AI technicians in the country, a lack of representation that translates into more gender bias presence. “The more girls join the industry, the fairer the algorithms will now be that discriminate on the basis of sex, race or gender,” explains Laia Vilardell, a sophomore at UAB.
Although there is still a long way to go, efforts to balance this area have begun to be noticed in universities. At UPF, the percentage of women enrolled in a mathematical engineering degree in data science has fluctuated between 32.5% and 54.76% over the past four years. “Girls need female role models recognizing that women are just as well-suited to study technology careers as men,” adds Lucía, who wants more visibility to be given to those already working in this sector.
increase knowledge
In addition to academia, there are other initiatives aimed at increasing AI knowledge among all audiences. Thus, in May, CiudadanIA, an interactive free Catalan course, was launched, supported by the Department of Digital Policies, UPC and Fundació i2CAT and led by Professor Karina Gibert, aimed at educating citizens with no prior technical knowledge but interested in this discipline.
This education trend will increase in the coming years. On 11 November, the Spanish Government announced that it would establish 32 university chairs. research, innovation and dissemination AI and its applications in fields ranging from aeronautics to the arts or health sciences. This project, framed within the scope of the Ministry of Economy and Digital Transformation’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (ENIA), will mobilize 50 million euros and award scholarships to nearly 150 researchers for four years.