Nvidia CEO Warns AI Boom Spurs Global Demand for Skilled Trades

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang emphasizes that the rapid growth of artificial intelligence and data centers will create a booming demand for skilled tradespeople such as electricians, plumbers, carpenters, and welders, roles that often offer six-figure salaries without requiring a four-year degree. Huang highlights that these trades are essential to building and maintaining the physical infrastructure powering AI technologies, including massive data centers, which require hundreds of thousands of workers during construction and ongoing maintenance. He argues that while AI advances rapidly, it will not replace trades but instead enhance them, making workers more efficient and precise. This surge in demand for skilled labor is reflected in Nvidia's substantial $100 billion investment in OpenAI's data center expansion and aligns with government efforts to maintain technological leadership. Industry experts and Huang caution that a shortage of trades workers could hinder economic progress, urging increased vocational training and apprenticeships. Overall, the message counters fears of job losses due to AI by pointing to a parallel boom in blue-collar skilled jobs critical to the AI-driven economy.