Miami is emerging as a major destination for tech startups and enterprises, to the tune of $36 billion. AI promises to be a big part of our future – so big that it is set to contribute $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030. To maintain our position as a global tech hub, it is critical that Miami gains a foothold and stays ahead of the curve so that by 2040 the city is strong in this space. 

• The goals of automation are twofold: 1) reducing the time we need to spend working; and 2) enabling humans to focus on more meaningful, interesting, and creative work. We’ve already begun to see the former in action with the four-day working week, which is being piloted and adopted across industries. An ongoing study shows that a four-day week can reduce burnout and staff turnover. However, with most of the rhetoric in this area centered around business productivity, questions remain about the lack of attention being given to stagnant real wages in the midst of global inflation and the failure to truly reimagine and transform work. 

• As much as the automation of jobs presents a daunting prospect, with 85 million jobs displaced by 2025, 97 million new jobs will be created from emerging sectors such as e-commerce, cybersecurity, and climate tech. The future AI economy workforce will need millions more AI and machine learning (ML) specialists, software and app developers, and data analysts and scientists. Thus the mass reskilling of the current workforce is a necessity. 

• If implemented correctly, AI will be key to democratizing the workforce via automated talent acquisition, which aims to remove hiring bias with AI. However, women are projected to account for only 26% of technical roles in data and AI, so diversity and inclusion will play a big part in its development. Closer to home, a University of Miami professor is designing video games that directly challenge racial bias. If we can move past AI bias, AI-literacy programs and upskilling initiatives are a huge opportunity for social mobility for those in lower-socioeconomic brackets. 

“From language generation and molecular medicine to disinformation and algorithmic bias, AI has begun to permeate every aspect of our lives,” said Liz Sonenberg, professor, Computing and Information Systems, The University of Melbourne, and Toby Walsh, professor of AI at University of New South Wales, both of whom have worked on Stanford’s One Hundred Year Study on Artificial Intelligence (AI100). 

But what exactly is AI? Instead of looking at AI as a single technology, it might be more helpful to consider it as a family of technologies, including but not limited to computer vision, natural language, virtual assistants, robotic process automation, and advanced machine learning. 

Simply, the plethora of uses available includes the very familiar, such as email filters, predictive text, voice-to-text features, voice-activated personal assistants, or any device labeled “Smart,” and the Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer, commonly referred to as Chat GPT. 

With AI projected to transform the way Miamians live and work in the future, the technologies are already powering many initiatives in the area. 

Let’s take a closer look at how AI will impact the main industries in Miami:

Healthcare

• Over the past decade, advances in healthcare AI have been fairly slow, limited mostly to “back-office” functions, such as supply chain management, automated processing, and cybersecurity. 

• There have been some recent breakthroughs showing the potential that AI presents as a support tool in healthcare settings. Using datasets collected from five institutions in South Korea, the USA, and the UK, researchers found that an AI algorithm showed strong performance in being able to detect breast cancer.

• Someday, AI and machine learning could play a big part in clinical diagnosis and decisions. However, after a study carried out in 2022 where Chat GPT managed to pass the U.S. Medical Licensing Exams with no prior training, caution is being advised that we are still very far away from a world where machines will autonomously diagnose patients.
  

• In Miami, efforts are being made to utilize AI for the purpose of making healthcare data more inclusive by ensuring the data and those collecting it are less biased. They will partner with a number of historically Black colleges and other institutions serving minorities to build a computing system that will collect data without personal information attached to it. A 2021 study found profound barriers for Black people on the kidney transplant wait-list, despite them being 2-4 times more likely to develop kidney failure than White people. 

• Also at the University of Miami, computer science faculty are working on using machine learning tools for improving the discovery of the underlying causes of genetic diseases. Due to vast sample numbers, it is currently difficult to filter the data and find those individuals who are healthy, are predisposed to the disease, or how it will affect severity. 

• Digital health company DiagnaMed Healthcare recently entered into an agreement with the University of Miami to develop and license a brain health platform leveraging generative AI.

Tourism 

• The Knight Foundation will support the future of art with a $40.7 million investment in Miami arts organizations and initiatives that use technology in their practices to enhance the way art is produced, shared and experienced. The foundation, based in Miami, also awarded six artists a share of $500,000 to push the integration of technology within their practices.

• Early this year, Miami Heat teamed up with AT&T for an AI-powered interactive installation outside the Miami-Dade Arena that pulled in customer data and initiated shareable gameplays and interactive art for fans. 

• The virtual version of Miami Fashion Week was held on the metaverse platform Decentraland in March this year. Partnering with the Metaverse Fashion Week (MVFW) 2023, it was the first fashion week recognised by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) to participate in the event.

• Uber Eats is introducing sidewalk delivery robots featuring Cartken's AI-powered carriers in Miami. Cartken, a robotics company founded by ex-Google engineers, currently provides food delivery on college campuses through GrubHub. 

• New upmarket Miami eatery, Branja, opened by Israeli Masterchef winner Tom Aviv, got the AI treatment for its menu and decor design. Aviv partnered with Open AI, using Dall-E, which generates digital images from natural language descriptions, called "prompts". Aviv’s prompt for Dall-E, “A chocolate mousse inspired by Picasso.”

Education

• For Miami to keep pace with the global AI race, funding is currently being funneled to various educational institutions to boost emerging tech, including AI. 

• Miami-Dade College (MDC) recently opened a dedicated AI Center, with a $10 million donation from IBM Global University Programs. The school, which has the largest undergraduate enrollment of any college or university in the country, also received a $15 million investment from The Knight Foundation, Miami-Dade County, City of Miami, and Downtown Development Authority (DDA) to support applied AI courses. Together with PRAI, the college will provide first-class innovative PR and Media Artificial Intelligence solutions through real-time usage of PRAI technology, educational case studies, and webinars.

• CodePath, whose mission is to launch the tech careers of Black, Latino, and Indigenous young people, is partnering with MDC, Florida International University (FIU), and Florida Memorial University (FMU) to boost tech equity in Miami.  

• The Mark Cuban Foundation held Artificial Intelligence Bootcamps for underserved high school students to increase AI literacy and support the future global competitiveness of the country. At the local boot camp, students built their own applications, met with AI experts, and discussed AI ethics and bias in data. 

• As well as bolstering Miami’s future AI workforce, AI-powered solutions and tools are being used to boost general education. Across Miami’s classrooms, teachers have been considering the use of tools such as Chat GPT. 

• These solutions also have the ability to innovate teaching, accelerate success, and address challenges and inequalities in the education system, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Politics

• From Miami-Dade Transit using AI-powered video analytic software during the pandemic to monitor social distancing, to an AI-powered smart water initiative announced by Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Miami is hopping on the AI train at a local level.

• Regulation is a hot topic. Looking at the global picture, the European Union issued its ethics guidelines for trustworthy AI. While at the national level, the White House recently published its blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights.

• The debate around AI ethics is also being picked up by those most likely to need it. Microsoft and Adobe have established their guiding principles, and Facebook published its five pillars of Responsible AI. Though whether this is akin to green-washing for the AI future is yet to be seen.

Tech

• AI companies have played a role in the overall expansion of Miami’s tech ecosystem. Companies providing AI technology include Rav.ai, an automated video editing service for social media, and Deepblocks, which leverages AI to make site selection more efficient and effective. Real estate agents in Miami have already begun jumping on the Chat GPT bandwagon, experimenting with writing property listings and automating communication with clients. 

• In addition to blockchain, BH Compliance is looking at how to incorporate AI in order to improve the monitoring of good practices within companies. 

• Xennial Digital builds business and academic solutions using Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies.

• ReachLink is an app that provides teletherapy via video call. 

• On a mission to empower growth for e-commerce, SellersFunding is a global financial technology company exploring an AI assistant feature. 

• NOOZ.ai is an AI-powered news analysis tool allowing users to identify misinformation in online news sources. Articles are scored based on the amount of persuasive language – analyzing sentiment, propaganda, opinion, revisions, and ghost edits.

Here’s a selection of the latest local, national, and international research about our AI future:

To find out more about how AI will impact Miami at the local level, look here:

• Refresh Miami took a look at some of the major players powering our local AI ecosystem.

• The Miami Student investigates how AI is already shaping classrooms in Miami.

• Here’s the story on how and why the Knight Foundation is working to infuse technology into our local art community.

To read some studies on the future of AI on the national level, look here:

• For a longitudinal study of AI, Stanford University initiated a One Hundred Year Study on Artificial Intelligence (AI100). Their researchers published a report on what artificial intelligence and life in 2030 will look like. 

• The Brookings Institute has mapped the spread of AI across the United States, identifying areas of exposure. Their study also concludes that with automation, there will be inevitable job losses but that the potential for entirely new work is great. 

For studies with an international perspective on the future of AI, look here: 

• A European study on the economic impacts of artificial intelligence (AI), notes that it can become a growth engine but also warns that it could be equally as disruptive.  

• In a study of the economic impacts of AI by 2030, research by PWC found that despite automation causing some initial job market displacement, new roles emerging from the AI economy have the potential to exceed those lost.

• Regarding investment in the AI economy, the McKinsey Global Institute’s research notes that patience and a long-term view are needed as it is unlikely investment won’t bear fruit in the short term. 

AI has the potential to touch every facet of our existence. Here are some articles, podcasts, and videos providing a glimpse into what that future might look like.

The future AI economy and what this means for business:

• How AI is Deciding Who Gets Hired

• How AI Could Empower Any Business | Andrew Ng | TED

• 3 trends will shape the future of work, according to Microsoft’s CEO

• 8 things you need to know about AI this month

• The U.S. is falling behind in artificial intelligence. Here is what one university is doing about it.

• AI Will Add $15.7 Trillion to the Global Economy

• Maximizing AI’s economic, social, and trade opportunities

On AI-skepticism and how we can achieve ‘responsible’ AI via regulation and code of ethics:

• The Ezra Klein Show: A Skeptical Take on the A.I. Revolution 

• 5 ways to avoid artificial intelligence bias with 'responsible AI'

• When the Movies Pictured A.I., They Imagined the Wrong Disaster

• History May Wonder Why Microsoft Let Its Principles Go for a Creepy, Clingy Bot

Our closest visual reference to the AI future may lie in the ‘metaverse’. Across Miami, we are seeing metaverse initiatives pop up:

• Miami Metaverse Fashion Week in Decentraland | Metaverse Architects 

• Miami Fashion Week to host events in metaverse with new partnership

• Miami Gardens takes plunge into the metaverse

Ensuring Miami makes the most of AI’s possibilities, while avoiding the pitfalls, will be key. If local governments, businesses, community leaders and individuals take the right steps, it is possible that our AI future is a fruitful one, while being fair, trustworthy, and doing good for Miami. 

Government

Governments and policymakers play a major role in supporting the growth of AI technologies. They must be mindful of how AI has the potential to overstep boundaries – and create legislation accordingly. Tangibly, here are a few ways that governments can harness the power of AI for maximum impact.

• Offer incentives for companies to establish themselves in Miami. In 2021, the City of Miami Beach approved incentives to relocate and establish tech firms in the area. A determined effort along these same lines can help push AI growth. 

• Strategically leverage AI tools to drive efficiencies. Local governments should think outside the box to open up new ways of working. Relatively soon, these public sector organizations will rely heavily on digital and emerging technologies to enable a large part of their work. The newly-announced Miami-Dade Innovation Authority is an example of one government organization that can help spearhead these initiatives.

• Adopt AI regulation policy and guidelines. Follow the lead of the European Union to help build trustworthy and ethical uses of AI. It is yet to be seen whether local governments will also need to establish their own regulatory guidelines. All forms of regulation must find the right balance between risk and reward when it comes to protecting AI innovation.

• Fund or subsidize reskilling and upskilling programs. Education departments and school boards should put emphasis on finding money to boost science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects in order to ready the future AI workforce. 

  
  

Education

The reskilling and upskilling of at least 1 billion workers will be necessary to build and maintain a future that relies heavily on AI. Miami’s universities need to push initiatives that bolster STEM departments and tech bootcamps.  

• Provide traditional and nontraditional education opportunities. Take advantage of funding that aims to increase and diversify tech education. The seeds of tech careers can be sewn both in schools and universities, as well as outside these institutions with bootcamps and internship programs. Local government officials should aim to create a tuition-free K-12 academy devoted to STEM, similar to SLAM – a charter school in Miami that focuses on sports and the arts. 

• Diversify education in order to create a workforce that represents the citizens of Miami. Provide tuition-free opportunities for those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Via scholarship initiatives and bootcamps, widen the participation of those who are heavily underrepresented in tech, such as women and minorities.  

• Build on current tech education initiatives such coding bootcamps. Successful examples include the 4Geeks Academy and the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamps.

Business

Across industries, companies play a major role in preparing for, innovating, and investing in the future of AI. And, it is not just tech companies that need to take notice. AI will impact every sector. 

• Explore responsible use of AI. Beyond government guidelines, companies must draw up their own ways to make sure the AI they implement is being put to good use. We have already seen this with Meta, Microsoft, and Adobe. Formulating an ethical code of practice should become the norm for every business involved with or using AI. 

• Fund AI startup innovation. Investment is key to the survival of startups, and this is equally true for AI-powered business. If AI will be integrated into many areas of business, it makes sense to invest now.   

• Collaborate with education partners to train your future AI personnel. Work together to make sure there is a steady stream of bootcamps and upskilling initiatives.

• Build a diverse workforce. Hire with a mindset that welcomes people from all backgrounds. Diversity initiatives will help build a stronger workforce that reflects the population. So, as diversity becomes more key it will pay to stay ahead of the curve. 

• Be aware that AI is not a substitute for human interaction. We must tread carefully when it comes to automating services that require emotional empathy. A city so heavily reliant on its hospitality and service industry as Miami must be aware of the pitfalls. There are many cognitive tasks in the industry for which AI can be adopted with positive results, including guest data management, personalisation, booking processes, and performance tracking, while algorithms have the potential to make recommendations based on past guest experiences. But it is the act of hospitality itself, which cannot be truly replaced, and data-driven decisions are no replacement for real word-of-mouth tips.

  
  

Citizens

Although corporations and governments will take on the bulk of responsibility, as the end-users of AI technology, citizens have a strong role to play. 

• Keep an open mind when engaging with AI technologies. Try your hand at an AI-powered tool. It has the potential to improve lives – but to avoid issues with accuracy, transparency, bias, and privacy, we need to keep on top of it. So be mindful of these issues with a healthy dose of skepticism. 

• Hold technologists responsible for the deployment of good AI tech. If ethical concerns are bypassed, it will be citizens who feel the effect first. Good or bad, share experiences and make sure tech companies and governments are held accountable.

• Take up opportunities to upskill. If you are interested in moving into a technical role within AI, jump at any opportunity that is given that will allow you to retrain or learn one of the many new skills required for the future AI economy. 

For AI to become an economic engine for Miami, all players will need to work together in order to create high-paying jobs, investment in local companies, and improved products and services for all in Miami.