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AI Boom Creates Wave of New Jobs for Skilled Trades, Says Nvidia CEO

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • AI infrastructure development is creating a surge in demand for skilled tradespeople like electricians, plumbers, and construction workers.
  • Major projects in the US, including a data center complex in Kentucky and a data center in Texas, are expected to create thousands of construction jobs.
  • Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang emphasizes that AI's expansion represents the largest infrastructure build-out in human history, generating significant employment opportunities.

Contrary to fears that artificial intelligence will eliminate jobs, the development of AI infrastructure is unexpectedly fueling a demand for skilled tradespeople. Roles such as electricians, plumbers, steelworkers, HVAC technicians, and construction workers are becoming crucial as the world builds the physical backbone to support AI technologies.

This trend is underscored by two major U.S. projects announced in late July 2026. The U.S. Department of Energy revealed a private investment exceeding $100 billion to transform a former government facility in Paducah, Kentucky, into a hub for AI and high-performance computing. This complex is projected to generate approximately 8,000 construction jobs and 600 permanent positions. It will be powered by a two-gigawatt gas plant, a 2.6-gigawatt battery storage system, and an 1.8-gigawatt AI campus.

Just a day prior, Meta and BlackRock announced a $14 billion data center project in El Paso, Texas. This one-gigawatt facility is expected to require over 4,000 construction workers at its peak and will employ 300 people once operational. Over 2,300 workers are already on-site for its development.

Energy creates jobs. The chip industry creates jobs. The infrastructure layer creates jobs.

— Jensen HuangDescribing the job creation potential of AI infrastructure development at the World Economic Forum.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang predicts that the next wave of high-value jobs will emerge not just from tech offices but also from construction sites, power plants, and data centers. He described the AI expansion as "the largest infrastructure build-out in human history" during a conversation with BlackRock CEO Larry Fink at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2026. Huang stressed that AI requires a comprehensive industrial ecosystem, including energy, semiconductors, computers, data centers, AI models, and user applications, stating, "Energy creates jobs. The chip industry creates jobs. The infrastructure layer creates jobs," summarizing his point with "Jobs, jobs, jobs."

The construction of these massive AI data centers necessitates a wide range of expertise beyond software engineering. Workers are needed to install high-voltage electrical systems, liquid cooling solutions, piping, generators, energy storage, server racks, fiber optics, and fire suppression systems. As AI chips become more powerful, they generate greater electricity and heat demands, elevating the importance of tradespeople in the technology industry's supply chain.

the largest infrastructure build-out in human history

— Jensen HuangCharacterizing the scale of AI expansion.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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