America’s 10 Best states for finding a job in the AI boom [Video]

How big of a deal is artificial intelligence? Russell Wald, deputy director of the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, likens it to the printing press.

“This technology is a general purpose technology that’s going to affect everyone and everywhere,” he said.

The mere fact Stanford has a whole institute devoted to AI is a statement, Wald said. Other institutes at Stanford consider such lofty subjects as neuroscience, foreign policy, and public affairs. He said it is appropriate to consider AI in a similar way.

“It requires a broad mandate and an important viewpoint from a variety of stakeholders to ensure that we’re getting all the key aspects of this,” he said.

Given the enormity of the field, it makes sense that some states are jockeying to lead it.

Because of that, for the first time, CNBC is factoring several AI metrics into this …