Smith Research Powers Maryland’s New AI Economic Impact Tracker

Research from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business is helping shape Maryland’s understanding of how artificial intelligence is affecting the state’s economy. The research serves as a key data source for the Comptroller of Maryland’s newly launched Maryland AI Economic Impact Tracker: October 2026.

As AI adoption grows across industries, the Comptroller’s office is monitoring its effects on businesses, jobs, state tax revenues and long-term budget planning.

To monitor workforce shifts and technical job creation, state officials are using data from the UMD-LinkUp AI Maps project — an innovative tracking tool developed by Smith School researchers, led by Professor Anil K. Gupta, Michael D. Dingman Chair in Strategy and Entrepreneurship, in partnership with job listings platform LinkUp and Outrigger Group.

Powering the State's AI Insights

The UMD-LinkUp project uses advanced Large Language Models (LLMs) to classify and track monthly counts of technical AI job postings across all 50 states and DC. Built on an initial training set of 200,000 manually coded job listings, the platform analyzes job postings dating back to January 1, 2018.

The project defines an "AI job" as one requiring core technical expertise — such as deep learning, computer vision, neural networks, LLM fine-tuning, and machine learning engineering — and distinguishes these technical roles from jobs that simply use end-user AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude.

Key metrics from UMD-LinkUp in the Comptroller's October 2026 update include:

• Rapid Regional Growth: Maryland recorded 3,600 unique AI job postings through September 2026—a 79% increase compared to all of 2025, matching the national growth rate.
• Regional & National Rankings: Maryland currently ranks 19th nationally for overall AI job creation, while neighboring Virginia ranks 6th with 10,200 postings so far in 2026. Nearby Washington, D.C. recorded 4,100 postings (138% increase), and Pennsylvania reached 7,300 postings (90% increase).
• National AI Demand: Across the United States, technical AI job postings totaled 273,000 through the first three quarters of 2026, led by California, New York, Washington, Texas and Illinois.

"Artificial intelligence is reshaping economies in real time,” says Gupta. “By incorporating data from the UMD-LinkUp AI Maps Project, Maryland is taking a forward-looking approach to understanding where AI-driven jobs are emerging and how the technology is influencing the state's workforce and economic competitiveness."

Also collaborating with Gupta on the project are Smith professors Siva Viswanathan and Kunpeng Zhang and PhD student Hanwen Shi.