Nvidia's Jensen Huang says it's a good time to be a plumber - and not just because it's an AI-proof job

"Is AI coming for your job? If you work in construction or plumbing, that's perhaps not a question you need to worry about. Speaking at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said it was a great time to be a tradesperson because the AI boom is creating demand for manual labor to build data centers. "It's wonderful that the jobs are related to tradecraft and we're going to have plumbers and electricians and construction and steelworkers," he said in a conversation with BlackRock CEO Larry Fink in Davos, Switzerland."

"Huang described the AI boom as the "largest infrastructure buildout in human history" that would create "a lot of jobs." AI's impact on the labor market has been a hot topic at Davos this year. Huang has long argued that AI won't be the mass job killer some believe it will be. He has given radiology as an example: while AI has automated some of the tasks radiologists do, the number of jobs in the field has actually increased."

"At Davos on Wednesday, Huang said the US was seeing a "significant boom" in demand for manual jobs helping build AI infrastructure, with salaries nearly doubling in some cases. "So we're talking about six-figure salaries for people who are building chip factories or computer factories or AI factories, and we have a great shortage in that," said Huang. He added: "Everybody should be able to make a great living. You don't need to have a Ph.D. in computer science to do so.""

AI infrastructure expansion is creating strong demand for manual labor to build data centers and AI-related factories. Trades such as plumbers, electricians, construction workers and steelworkers are particularly needed to support the buildout. The scale of the infrastructure effort is described as historic and expected to generate many jobs. The United States is experiencing a notable boom in demand for these manual roles, with reported salary increases and shortages of skilled workers. Some positions tied to building chip, computer, and AI factories are reaching six-figure salaries, offering well-paid opportunities without advanced degrees.

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