You could begin your search for a topic by identifying employers that look attractive to you, and then looking for applications of machine learning at those companies:

• The Best Software Companies to Work for in 2020

Or maybe you will begin with an application of machine learning that you find especially interesting, and then look for companies or universities that are exploring that kind of application:

• What is Natural Language Processing (NLP): what it is and why it matters

A search that includes words like "customer success story" might also be productive:

• Deep Learning Success Stories