Could I make a living?

Question

Do you think it would be difficult to make a living as a physical artifical intelligence system designer and scientist dealing with the development fo artificial intelligence?

Answer 1

Depends what you mean by AI system designer.  The academic route would be very difficult because you're competing with many of the smartest of the smartest.  Figure it will be your whole life.  All work and nothing else till you're 35 or 40.  

As a systems analyst specializing in adaptive systems (specialized AI) it would be easier but still require years of hard work.

There is some room in between the Academic Science and the applied engineering where careers are also possible.