Chennai colleges expand AI and data science programs

Chennai: Interest in artificial intelligence (AI) and data science is booming among engineering students. More than 60 engineering colleges are planning to add over 5,000 seats in these fields for the next academic year. Nineteen additional colleges have expressed interest in starting AI and data science courses, according to Anna University. This surge in demand has moved these areas past traditional computer science engineering in popularity. Colleges are expanding courses because they believe more job opportunities will arise in AI and data science. "Students still like computer science," said Sriram Parthasarathy, chairman of Chennai Institute of Technology. In fact, this year, over 50 colleges aim to add 4,000 seats in computer science. Overall, more than 15,000 new seats will be available across various engineering disciplines. AI and data science courses share many topics with computer science. However, there is a shortage of postgraduate students specialized in AI. Faculty training is still developing and may take a few years. Meanwhile, arts and science colleges are also joining the trend. Twenty-five colleges under the University of Madras want to introduce BSc courses that combine computer science with AI or data science for the 2025-26 academic year. To keep up, professors need extensive training in AI and its impact on their subjects. B Ravindran, head at IIT Madras, emphasizes that hands-on experience is crucial for students. Participating in projects and competitions can give students an edge in job interviews. Some top colleges are encouraging faculty to enroll in AI courses, ensuring the curriculum is updated frequently. Students trained in AI often receive higher salaries after graduation, and demand for AI professionals is expected to outpace supply by nearly one million by 2027. Ramkumar Ramamoorthy, a partner at Catalincs, believes that expanding AI-focused programs will strengthen Tamil Nadu's leadership in technology education. He stresses the need for AI-related topics across all fields, from science and engineering to management and humanities, starting from a student's first year.