Artificial intelligence may be changing how people work, but, heck, someone still has to build the places where all that technology lives.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang recently made that point when talking about the massive expansion of AI infrastructure. In an article published by Fortune and shared by Yahoo Finance, Huang predicted growing demand for plumbers, electricians, construction workers, steelworkers, and other skilled trades as companies invest trillions of dollars into new data centers and technology facilities.
For those of us in the trades, there’s something pretty satisfying about that. A nod to you all.
The Digital World Still Needs the Physical One
AI can feel almost entirely digital. Like those digital flyers, or ChatGPT – which is great for making grocery lists, but we digress. We hear about chips, algorithms, software, and computing power. But, as we know, data centers don’t appear out of thin air.
They require concrete, steel, electrical systems, plumbing, cooling systems, roads, utilities, and countless hours of skilled labor. Huang described the expansion as the “largest infrastructure build-out in human history,” adding that it will create “a lot of jobs.”
And many of those jobs won’t require a computer science degree. “It’s wonderful that the jobs are related to tradecraft, and we’re going to have plumbers and electricians and construction and steelworkers,” Huang said during a conversation with BlackRock CEO Larry Fink at the World Economic Forum.
The article points to estimates that the U.S. could need another 130,000 trained electricians, 240,000 construction laborers, and 150,000 construction supervisors between 2023 and 2030. That’s not a small opportunity.
Skilled Trades Are Part of What Comes Next
There has been plenty of conversation about which jobs AI might replace. Huang’s comments offer another side of that conversation: what new technology will need people to build.
That should sound familiar here in the Cape Fear region. Whether we’re talking about a new home, commercial development, infrastructure, manufacturing, or a massive distribution center, progress depends on people who know how to turn plans into something real.
The Cape Fear Trades Alliance has made that point from the beginning. Skilled trades are a backbone of our region’s growth, providing the homes and infrastructure that allow communities to grow and prosper. The technology may change. The projects may get more complicated. The tools may get better. But someone still needs to wire it. Someone needs to pipe it. Someone needs to pour the concrete, erect the steel, install the equipment, and keep everything running.
That’s worth remembering when people talk about the jobs of the future. A lot of them might look more familiar than you think.
Source: Preston Fore, “Jensen Huang says ‘a lot’ of six-figure jobs in plumbing and construction will soon be unlocked because someone needs to build new AI centers,” Fortune, August 1, 2026. The article was republished by Yahoo Finance.