In a new analysis released this week, the World Business Chicago Research Center unveils a first-of-its-kind map of the region’s AI economy, led by Research Manager Himashi Jayasundera and Vice President of Research Hannah Loftus. The report introduces a new methodology that identifies both the industries delivering AI technologies and those enabling their adoption—revealing just how deeply AI is woven into Chicagoland’s business fabric.

As Chicago’s economic development agency, World Business Chicago specializes in turning data into direction. This latest analysis provides a clear, actionable look at how AI is already driving job creation, business transformation, and long-term investment across the region.

DEFINING THE AI ECONOMY

This analysis draws on a newly released report from AI Strike, offering fresh insights into the evolving AI landscape, “Defining the AI economy,” which defines the industry codes and maps out the AI economy nationally. We applied the same framework to the Chicagoland region. Accordingly, the AI economy is an integrated ecosystem with three foundational segments:

1. Core infrastructure: Foundational hardware and essential software that provide raw computational power and resources required to build and train AI models. This segment includes energy, cooling, network, and industrial real estate.
2. Enabling infrastructure: The tools, platforms, and frameworks – like data pipelines – that facilitate the management, integration, and scalable deployment of AI models into operational environments. This segment includes data centers.
3. AI delivery: End-user-facing applications and services that leverage AI models to provide intelligent features, insights, or automation for specific business or consumer needs. This segment includes robotics and software.

SIZING CHICAGOLAND’S AI ECONOMY

According to these segments – core infrastructure, enabling industries, and AI delivery – Chicagoland’s AI economy is $57.4 billion and employs over 164K people. By GRP, the Chicagoland region ranks ninth in the United States.

This robust ecosystem highlights the region’s ability to support foundational technology development, foster industry-wide collaboration, and deliver impactful AI solutions to businesses and consumers alike.

CHICAGO’S ADVANTAGE

The Chicagoland region is home to leading universities such as University of Illinois System, Chicago-based Discovery Partners Institute, the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and more, as well as federally funded research laboratories including Argonne National Laboratory and Fermilab. All of these are at the forefront of cutting-edge advancements in artificial intelligence. For example:

• Illinois Institute of Technology‘s Bachelor of Science in AI had the first undergraduate AI program of its kind in the Midwest. And new degree pathways have been implemented at Chicagoland’s key universities and colleges: for example, Northwestern University offers a minor in AI, DePaul University offers an MS in AI, University of Illinois Chicago’s MEng offers a focus in AI & ML, and City Colleges of Chicago offers continuing education courses in generative AI.
• The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign leads nationally with the third-most degree completions in core AI majors.
• The Aurora Exascale Computer at Argonne National Laboratory, which is able to perform over a quintillion calculations per second, was recently opened for scientific research.
• Chicagoland and Illinois universities have multiple labs, centers, and institutes dedicated to AI research at industry intersections, such as robotics, medicine, and security.

Since 2019, 306 companies within the AI & machine learning vertical in Chicagoland have raised $10.6 billion in growth capital funding through 723 deals. These companies span several Chicagoland’s healthcare, manufacturing, and insurance companies such as – Tempus AI , ActiveCampaign, Accenture , and G2 are companies recognized as leaders in AI adoptions across industries.  Illustrative examples of industry adoption include:

• Healthcare, being at the forefront of adopting AI technologies is leveraging AI for predictive analytics, patient diagnostics, and personalized treatment plans – like Tempus, which uses generative AI to make laboratory tests more accurate.
• Manufacturing, using AI for predictive maintenance, supply chain optimization, and quality control. Implementing machine learning models that analyze equipment performance data, manufacturers can reduce downtime and improve production efficiency. Companies like Xorbix Technologies partners with manufacturers across the region to implement AI-driven technologies such as machine learning, computer vision, generative AI, and natural language processing.
• Insurance, integrates AI for risk assessment and claims processing, improving efficiency and customer satisfaction companies like Allstate are harnessing AI to promote best-in-class customer service. Through AI-driven chatbots and automated telephone systems, practices like claims processing have proven to be more efficient and user friendly.
• Professional services, including consulting, integrating AI to help clients with advanced business transformation, like Accenture’s generative AI studio or McKinsey & Company’s QuantumBlack Labs.

In addition, industry events like Chicago AI week unite global leaders, innovators, and experts to share best practices and real-world applications. The region’s emphasis on ethical AI, talent development, and inclusive growth further solidifies its reputation as a dynamic and fruitful hub for AI innovation – especially within Chicago’s most important industry sectors.

As AI continues to transform workforce strategies and reshape the industries where Chicago leads—such as manufacturing, finance, logistics, and health care—World Business Chicago will stay focused on tracking the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping our region’s future. We’ll continue to cover emerging insights in future editions of The WBC Business Pulse, powered by LinkedIn. Have a topic or industry you think we should explore? Drop us a DM—we’d love to hear what’s on your mind.

Sources:

• Lightcast
• AIStrike Team Report
• XORBIX Technologies: The Future of AI in Chicago
• XORBIX Technologies: How AI is Enhancing Chicago’s Talent and Workforce Development
• 2025 Best Colleges for AI
• Pitchbook

Methodology:

• AI Industry Codes