AI will displace labor like no other technology in history. Will they migrate to the trades?
“Every week I get a call, either from a CEO of some big company or some consequential industry. And they're freaking out. This workforce thing is the problem of the decade, and it's not gonna go away until we come at it from a different angle”
Mike Rowe is no stranger to hard work, being a skilled tradesman and advocate for blue collar
AI is coming for "mind work" first — the huge chunk of US labor market which is service-oriented
The trades have long since been valued less than more traditionally higher-earning jobs
That has created demand for tradesmen
The field is now seen as fertile for labor displacement from AI