"It's a good time to be a plumber"

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What’s up? Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says the AI boom is driving up demand (and salaries) for trades like construction, plumbing, and electrical work.

Want the details? At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Huang called the AI revolution the “largest infrastructure buildout in human history.” As companies race to build data centers and chip factories to support AI, they’re turning to skilled trades to get it done. Plumbers, electricians, steelworkers, and construction crews are suddenly in short supply—and they’re getting paid well. In some parts of the U.S., wages for these jobs have nearly doubled, with many workers now earning six figures. Huang stated, “Everybody should be able to make a great living [in the AI era]. You don't need to have a Ph.D. in computer science to do so.”

Why should you care? While much of the AI conversation focuses on jobs being replaced (just see the next story), this is an example of how AI is also creating new opportunities—especially for people in manual trades.

What’s up? Elon Musk’s AI company xAI is testing “human emulator” bots that use computers like real employees.

How does this work? xAI’s new project uses AI agents that see a computer screen, move a mouse, and type on a keyboard—just like a person would. These “human emulators” are designed to act like white-collar workers, handling tasks and interacting with other employees via Slack and email. Some are already embedded in the company, and former insiders say coworkers didn’t always realize they were chatting with AI. But the bots still make mistakes—hallucinating data, getting confused, and even asking to meet at desks that don’t exist.

Why does this matter? This shows how quickly companies are moving to integrate AI into real workplace roles, even before the tech is truly ready. The idea of running a million bots at once (possibly using Tesla cars as servers) raises big questions about transparency, oversight, and what “employee” even means in the age of AI.