Resolving the AI Talent Shortage

The trend of the hour in the IT sector is to utilize the power of artificial intelligence (AI), a technology that is capable of doing unimaginable things much sooner than expected. Companies in the IT space that can leverage AI will be able to withstand the competition and end up dominating the market over the ones that cannot. Equally important and less understood are the issues revolving around finding the right talent with required capabilities for AI product development and engineering. The census from an IT human resource whitepaper published last year estimates the number of AI engineers to be only 1 percent of the number of IT engineers in Japan. Although IT companies are prepared to pay whatever it takes to develop the best AI/ML projects, there is a fierce battle to hire elite talent. Edge Consulting, a Tokyo-based company, is changing these dynamics by training engineers and data scientists through its educational programs. With a strong track record and vast experience in servicing the Japanese market, the firm provides services for AI implementations, big data, and multivariate analysis and consulting.

Edge Consulting’s goal has always revolved around AI as a result of the founder and CEO, Koji Sumimoto’s expertise in machine learning. Under his leadership, Edge Consulting has been assisting businesses use the most advanced algorithms such as deep learning to easily automate business processes. Edge Consulting has even developed one of the first AI freelancers’ marketplaces in Japan in the form of a matching platform for AI engineers. “We use the AI freelancer resources and customize them for our customers. Our approach embodies the national strategies such as Open Innovation, Work Style Reform, and Society 5.0,” says Yuta Shimada, director of Edge Consulting. Since 2014, Edge Consulting has been managing this entire network known as Big Data Navi, comprised of over 2000 AI freelance engineers. “We give our consultants the freedom to hear out and evaluate a particular freelancer’s technical skill set before assigning them to a project vendor agnostically,” adds Shimada.

To further advance data science development in the DevOps area, Edge Consulting has launched its Edge Algo platform, based on the latest state-of-the-art open-source AI components. The company will use this platform to bring new opportunities to the Big Data Navi network of data scientists, giving them access to the latest open-source technologies. Edge Algo helps clients integrate AI with their services much faster, scaling up the number of models or projects in production.

To mitigate the overwhelming shortage of AI engineers, Edge Consulting has launched the first face-to-face AI school in Japan to educate engineers to specialize in AI. This school utilizes machine learning and statistical knowledge along with Python implementation exercises to help engineers learn the skills necessary for AI implementation from experienced specialists. The teachers at the AI school are chosen from the Big Data Navi network with assistance from Japan Deep Learning Association (JDLA). The firm’s education program is certified by JDLA, Ministry of Economy/Trade and Industry (METI), and Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare.

Edge Consulting has also partnered with an AI company, 2021.AI to create an infrastructure that enables efficient and fast time to market with local continuous support and expertise. At present, Edge Consulting acts as a distributor and a local support center for 2021.AI in Japan. This collaboration has also provided an opportunity for 2021.AI to engage with some of the largest and well-known international brands in Japan for the implementation of AI in the coming years. Having delivered such capabilities to businesses along with creating opportunities for individuals and corporate to leverage AI, Edge Consulting is at the right place at the right time, ensuring that IT engineers are able to leverage the full potential of this new-age technology.