Demand for specialized AI engineers projected to surge 2,100% by end of 2026

A Christian & Timbers study projects demand for engineers who work on-site with companies to build custom AI systems to surge 2,100% by end of 2026. Firms planning such hires jumped from 5–10% in January to 70% by end of Q2. The report estimates only 2,000 U.S. engineers can do this work at scale — not 2,000 available, 2,000 total.