An “AI strike team” is seeking to make Pittsburgh a top-tier hub for AI work, with the goal of building to 100,000 tech jobs by 2028, according to planning documents shared with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
To get there, several projects may soon be in the works, focused on regional computing infrastructure, workforce training, defense tech attraction and a demonstration hub. The group will spend the next few weeks refining its proposed policies and projects before an official presentation by March.
“We don’t need more studies proving Pittsburgh is punching below its weight,” board Chair Jay Katarincic said in a Wednesday statement announcing the team. “We need action.”
What began as an effort to bring tenants into Bakery Square following the loss of Philips Respironics has grown into a broader push to position Pittsburgh in a top lineup of tech hubs around the nation.
That may include repurposing former factories and land that once made the city synonymous with steel.
“Regions investing in AI infrastructure are seeing high-paying tech jobs, advanced manufacturing, and skilled labor growth,” Rich Fitzgerald, executive director of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission and a co-chair of the new strike force, said in the announcement. “Southwestern Pennsylvania has all the ingredients to lead this economic revolution.”
Organizing began after the AI Horizons summit in October and was spurred by President Donald Trump’s announcement last week that OpenAI, Oracle and Softbank are partnering on a data center project called Stargate that could include funding up to $500 billion.
"Operation Stargate Pittsburgh,” will aim to to bring some of that funding here, the announcement said.
Rather than focusing on hype, organizers in Pittsburgh hope to tell stories from local founders such as Google alumnus Andrew Moore, who chose to build his own defense tech startup in Pittsburgh’s East End, not far from where he once served as dean of Carnegie Mellon University’s computer science school.
The planning documents highlight “prime tech anchors” such as Ansys, Duolingo and Aurora Innovation, while also warning that Duolingo is expanding in New York City and Ansys, a top chip design firm, is in the midst of an acquisition.
Synopsys, the software giant buying Ansys, has not said how the pending $35 billion transaction would impact jobs in Pennsylvania. Duolingo has said it is committed to the city as it plans an additional office buildout in East Liberty.
Pittsburgh has an uneven track record when it comes to federal distinctions around tech.
The city won Build Back Better funding for robotics in 2022, but the following year lost out on a federal “tech hub” designation and associated funding for life sciences projects.
Even before Stargate, building out data centers was seen as a way to attract top tech companies to the region. The strike team plans to push for associated tax incentives and zoning benefits to ease those developments.
Although one member of Gov. Josh Shapiro's team, Jen Gilburg, sits on the task force, it’s not yet clear if the initiative has the governor’s support, or if he’d be willing to back it with funding. Mr. Shapiro spoke at the AI Horizons summit last fall. At least two state senators, Jay Costa and Devlin Robinson, have advised the strike team.
Two of the primary targets for redevelopment, Bakery Square and Hazelwood Green, have already benefitted from branding and attention, including visits from government officials, tech events and the “AI Avenue” banners that now line Penn Avenue.
To staff the growing sector, organizers plan to partner with universities, foundations, local school districts and workforce organizations. Former Steelers safety Will Allen, who has worked with multiple funds and foundations in the city, was tapped to lead the workforce plan.
"As it starts to evolve and grow, I want to make sure that people from all over southwestern Pennsylvania are participating," Mr. Allen said. "Everybody needs to have access and exposure and awareness, and we just want to ensure that that happens."
Premo Consultants owner and founder Joanna Doven is leading the strike team as executive director. Other project leaders include Mr. Fitzgerald, the former Allegheny County executive, developer Don Smith, and Pittsburgh Technology Council’s government affairs lead Brian Kennedy.
First Published: January 29, 2025, 6:06 p.m.
Updated: January 30, 2025, 8:06 p.m.