As the tech industry goes all-in on artificial intelligence, you might not be surprised to learn that some of the most in-demand U.S. jobs focus on AI engineering, consulting, and researching. 

The spotlight has been on major tech companies like OpenAI, Meta, Microsoft, and Google trying to achieve market dominance with the right talent. Still, smaller firms and startups, along with non-tech businesses, need high-quality AI professionals, too. 

The search is also on for skilled individuals who can look beyond the initial adoption of AI and the first wave of integration and product launches. 

“Organizations are increasingly pairing technical AI roles with human-centered, governance, and operational titles,” Christina Mancini, CEO of Black Girls Code, told Mashable. Mancini said the shift reflects a move from organizations simply experimenting with AI to using it deliberately and responsibly.

That trend is evidenced by rapidly growing interest in hiring AI consultants and strategists. That role, along with four other tech titles, recently appeared on LinkedIn’s annual roundup of the 25 fastest-growing roles in the country: 

1. AI engineers

The fastest-growing role in the U.S., according to LinkedIn? AI engineer. 

There are a wide variety of applications for artificial intelligence, from powering robotic systems to developing the complex algorithms that drive generative chatbots. An AI engineer can build models capable of performing tasks, along with the required production infrastructure.

AI engineers should expect to draw on extensive technical knowledge for building AI agents, optimizing large language model output, and neural network training. They should also have comprehensive mathematical and statistical skills, LinkedIn notes. 

Coursera estimates the role’s annual income at $145,080, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data. 

2. AI consultants and strategists

The second-fastest growing position in the U.S. focuses on organizational implementation of AI, according to LinkedIn. Consultants and strategists with key expertise in fields like computer science and artificial intelligence, plus business acumen, may succeed in these roles. Their job, according to LinkedIn, is to help businesses implement AI in ways that make them more efficient and strategic. This can involve project management, long-term planning, and developing ethical and responsible practices. 

Self-employed consultants may charge by the hour (upwards of $300) or by project, according to LinkedIn. While salaries vary, LinkedIn estimates entry-level consultants can earn between $60,000 and $100,000. Those with much more experience may make more than $200,000 a year, according to LinkedIn. 

3. Data annotators 

Building and training a machine learning model often requires data annotators, also known as content analysts. Ranked as the fourth top-growing job by LinkedIn, this role is in high demand as companies rely on data annotators to evaluate metadata or raw data with labels or tags. These annotations provide context for the articles, social media posts, customer reviews, images, and videos used to train AI models, allowing them to communicate more accurately. 

While entry-level data annotators may earn $20 per hour, those with AI expertise or experience handling specialized content, like medical data, can earn $100 to $180 an hour, according to LinkedIn. 

Credit: Ian Moore/Mashable/Getty Images

4. Artificial intelligence and machine learning researchers 

Alongside massive financial investments, private research roles have boomed as institutions expand internal teams dedicated to the progression of generative AI. Tasked with designing and testing new models, algorithms, and future applications of generative AI, these research positions take LinkedIn’s fifth spot among the fastest growing roles in the U.S.

According to Apple, their AI/ML research team studies the technology, publishes their research, and hosts and attends conferences on deep learning. Google currently has more than 1,700 job listings for roles across its research teams, including research engineers and scientists dedicated to AI in security and privacy, advertising, search, and machine learning optimization. 

According to LinkedIn’s findings, the majority of these roles are offered in tech hubs: San Francisco, New York City, and now Boston. The gender divide is fairly stark, too: 74 percent of spots in this field are held by men, with an average of three years of prior experience. And the median salary is in the six figures, with Zip Recruiter putting it at $130,000 per year. 

5. Data center technicians

In 2025, $61 billion went toward the infrastructure of data centers operating around the world, according to a report by S&P Global. Due in part to the energy-intensive demands of generative AI, these data centers are funded by major tech companies and a precarious model of private equity debt, according to the S&P Global report — they are also supported bureaucratically by the federal government. 

Hardware specialists, including technicians tasked with overseeing the new facilities and their server networks, are in demand. These positions require physical and technical skill — they have to install and maintain servers, organize cable patch plans, and constantly monitor the vast network they physically build for people around the world to utilize. According to LinkedIn’s report, most employees in these roles were previously in IT or data center operations and career sites like Glassdoor put their median salaries around $68,000. A majority of roles are based in the Washington, D.C. metro area, Atlanta, and Columbus, Ohio — areas that overlap with growing data center hubs across the U.S.

TL;DR: Live stream England vs. Wales in the 2026 Six Nations for free on ITVX. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Six Nations is always unpredictable, but this year’s tournament feels especially open.

France are probably favorites to win, but England and Ireland won’t be far behind. And England are coming into this competition on the back of some promising wins in the Autumn Internationals. Borthwick’s team secured big wins against Australia and New Zealand in November. They’ll be looking to build on that success and start strongly against Wales.

If you want to watch England vs. Wales in the 2026 Six Nations for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is England vs. Wales?

England vs. Wales in the 2026 Six Nations starts at 4:40 p.m. GMT on Feb. 7. This fixture takes place at Twickenham Stadium.

How to watch England vs. Wales for free

England vs. Wales in the 2026 Six Nations is available to live stream for free on ITVX.

ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock ITVX from anywhere in the world.

Live stream England vs. Wales from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK

4. Visit ITVX

5. Live stream England vs. Wales for free from anywhere in the world

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch England vs. Wales without committing with your cash. This isn’t a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream most of the 2026 Six Nations before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming services to watch the Winter Olympics, the T20 World Cup, and more from anywhere in the world, you’ll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for the 2026 Six Nations?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

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• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream England vs. Wales in the 2026 Six Nations for free with ExpressVPN.

If you’ve lost your job to AI, Briarcliff Entertainment wants to give you a gift: free tickets to see the highly anticipated sci-fi thriller Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die. Because “Who better to see a film about AI’s impact than those already experiencing it firsthand?” as Tom Ortenberg, the company’s CEO, noted.

Directed by Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean) and written by Matthew Robinson (The Invention of Lying), Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die is set to hit cinemas Feb. 13. It stars Sam Rockwell as a man from the future who comes to warn of impending global doom from an AI apocalypse. It’s not too far off from reality, TBH. For some, the AI revolution hits a little too close to home, and Briarcliff Entertainment, in partnership with Fever, wanted to give those folks a little something special.

“If you or someone you know has been quietly replaced, sidelined, or optimized in the name of progress, tell us your story and receive a pair of tickets, on the house,” a letter on the movie’s social pages states.

The first 1,000 folks to sign up will get two free tickets. Just head to the Fever promotional page, log in or sign up using your email or social accounts, and you’ll be directed to a checkout page where you can “Tell your story or share your LinkedIn” to secure the tickets. The promotional period ends on Sunday, Feb. 8, so you’ll want to act fast. If you’re within the first 1,000 signups, you’ll receive your coupon to get two free tickets within two days.

The movie doesn’t hit theaters until next week, but check out the trailer for a glimpse into the bonkers comedy. Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die also stars Haley Lu Richardson, Michael Peña, Zazie Beetz, Asim Chaudhry, and Juno Temple.