I write frequently about the value of all kinds of work. For example, about the millions of workers required to get bananas from Brazil to your grocery store. I value all kinds of work and workers from the guy who picks up my garbage to the marvelously skilled handyman (one guy!) who fixed the seemingly myriad things wrong with the house that I sold last fall.
I’ve always maintained that ALL work is important. Decades ago, I was a graduate teaching assistant at Clemson University, and an “older” student (about 33!) was trying to become an electrical engineer, but I couldn’t get him through Algebra. If I had, I can’t imagine the difficulties he would have had with Calculus. When I told him he had failed Algebra, I tried to encourage him with the honor of working as an electrician. “We will always need electricians. I hope you have a long and successful career.”
Now that sentiment is coming to the forefront. We’re always reading about how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is going to change our lives and change our world. But, guess what? No electricians, no AI! Here’s a short piece, shared on LinkedIn by Argenis Bauza on January 16, 2026:
We Can’t Build AI Because We Fired All the Plumbers
Silicon Valley has identified a pressing issue: you can’t download an electrician. A recent Wired article sheds light on the urgent math behind this situation:
- The U.S. needs 550,000 skilled workers by 2032.
- Current shortage: over 10,000 workers.
- Data centers are projected to consume 8% of U.S. electricity by 2030.
- We are unable to build fast enough to meet these demands.
We have convinced an entire generation that working with their hands is beneath them, leading to situations where we are paying a lot of money for someone to install pipes. The AI revolution is currently on hold because we need professionals to fix the plumbing.
As with every revolution, some professions will see increases or decreases in demand. However, those that are increasing are not solely the high-tech roles.
Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/erjAyGEJ
The Apostle Paul knew the value of doing good work:
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him…Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3.17, 23, 24, ESV)