At the 2026 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang offered thought-provoking insights on the impact of artificial intelligence on the job market. According to AIbase, Huang believes that although AI is reshaping the global job structure, it is also triggering the largest infrastructure boom in history, making tradespeople such as plumbers and electricians the "new stars" of the AI era.

Huang pointed out that building and training large AI models requires massive data centers, which have directly driven trillions of dollars in new investments. Driven by this "physical construction" nature, the demand for construction workers, carpenters, and electrical experts has significantly increased. According to AIbase, the salary levels in this field have seen a significant rise, with some senior tradespeople earning six-figure salaries annually. Huang emphasized that such a decent lifestyle does not necessarily require a doctoral degree in computer science.

Meanwhile, traditional white-collar industries are facing technological disruption. AIbase reported that models like Claude from Anthropic, due to their strong programming capabilities, are gradually replacing some junior programmer positions. However, Huang shares the same view as tech giants like Palantir—that AI will create more local job opportunities. The essence of this technological revolution is to free workers from complex repetitive tasks and redirect them to more practically valuable technical positions, allowing them to share in the benefits of the infrastructure boom.

Key Points:

  • 🛠️ Surge in Demand for Blue-Collar Workers: AI infrastructure development has triggered a trillion-dollar investment, leading to a significant increase in wages for skilled workers such as plumbers and electricians, even doubling them.

  • 📈 Infrastructure Benefits Become Prominent: Huang believes that AI has brought the largest infrastructure boom in history, and the importance of vocational skills training in the AI era has even surpassed that of high-level academic degrees.

  • ⚖️ Reorganization of the Job Market: As AI gradually replaces some white-collar and junior programming jobs, physical infrastructure positions are becoming a new high-paying refuge.