Ford CEO Jim Farley said artificial intelligence will increasingly support skilled-trades workers in factories, dealerships and repair operations, while routine finance, call-center and entry-level programming jobs face faster disruption. Ford has more than 10,000 skilled-trades workers in the United States, representing roughly 20% of its 56,000 UAW employees. Those workers are increasingly repairing robots, maintaining automated machinery and working with software as the boundary between manufacturing engineering and hourly trades becomes less distinct. Farley said Ford’s megacasting equipment for the coming Fathom electric pickup and its battery plants require expertise in software, fluid dynamics and specialized equipment. Ford is also developing AI guidance for dealership technicians handling unfamiliar repairs. The Alliance for America’s Skilled Trades, co-founded by Ford, BlackRock, Google and Carhartt, said the United States will need about 1.7 million skilled-trades openings annually through 2035, while formal training pathways produce 55 workers for every 100 needed. Stanley Black & Decker CEO Chris Nelson said robotics could help address labor bottlenecks, including electricians and repetitive data-center drilling. Both executives said adoption will depend on worker trust, particularly over whether workplace data could be used against employees.