If you work in software, this would be figuring out how to include AI in the kind of software you make (for the user; RAG) and in your process (agents).
Profs are always looking for research assistants. Granted now is the wrong time to try to break into the industry given the NIH cuts. I was able to get a contracting position with university of pittsburgh and a free gig with CMU just by asking and that pays the bills but its not too much money. However if you don't already have publications you may have to wait until this chaos has wound down (honestly even if you do have publications it'll be hard to get paid until the chaos winds down I think I mostly just got very lucky).
You can always get publications by working in a lab for free and have a real job simultaneously but that is a lot of work.
There are also startups that have similar job descriptions. I worked for Signature Diagnostics for a year and a half and it was very bio/science heavy. But the key skill to break in is publications. I personally don't think this is a great metric, but unfortunately it is the metric.
First, test this assumption by getting another job offer — even in a role that doesn’t make much use of AI.