Executive search firm Christian & Timbers estimates there are only about 2,000 forward-deployed engineers in the U.S. with the right mix of AI skills and business acumen to deliver real-world returns for companies.

The demand for these specialists is skyrocketing, with projections showing a 2,100% increase by year-end as businesses seek to implement AI effectively into their workflows.

“This is happening at an unprecedented speed,” Jeff Christian, founder of C&T, told TechCrunch. The report also found that only a fraction of these engineers can deliver the ‘multiple tens of millions of dollars’ in ROI impact that companies are looking for.

The rise of forward-deployed engineers comes as AI companies face pressure to show their worth and enterprises scrutinize their AI investments more closely. Firms like OpenAI and Anthropic have set up ventures with internal teams dedicated to spreading their tech within enterprises, while others hire in-house experts to keep proprietary processes under lock and key.

Yet Christian warns that the demand for these engineers might not last, as automation could eventually render their expertise obsolete. In any case, he believes the role of forward-deployed engineers will shift towards physical AI as companies try to integrate humanoid robots into their operations in the coming years.