Huang said data center expansion could drive demand for electricians, plumbers and construction workers as executives warn labor shortages may hinder AI and manufacturing investment.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said the global push to build AI infrastructure is set to generate high-paying skilled-trades work, arguing that some of the next six-figure careers will come from hands-on roles rather than traditional office jobs. Speaking with BlackRock CEO Larry Fink at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Huang described the expected wave of chip, computer and AI factory construction as the "largest infrastructure build-out in human history" and said it would create "a lot of jobs." Huang tied the outlook to projected technology spending of about $7 trillion on AI infrastructure by the end of the decade. He said the work will require electricians, plumbers, steelworkers, construction crews and data-center maintenance staff, and added that "You don't need to have a PhD in computer science to do so." The remarks underscore a broader labor-market split: AI may reduce demand for some entry-level white-collar roles while increasing demand for industrial workers with specialized skills. McKinsey has estimated that the U.S. will need an additional 130,000 trained electricians, 240,000 construction workers and 150,000 construction supervisors between 2023 and 2030. Ford CEO Jim Farley has also warned that AI is shrinking junior tech hiring even as the U.S. faces shortages of factory and construction workers. Fink has similarly argued that electricians are critical to building and operating large AI data centers.