The job market is experiencing a profound transformation. As artificial intelligence and automation technologies rapidly advance, they’re reshaping industries, redefining job roles, and challenging traditional notions of career planning. Amid this disruption, Geoffrey Hinton, widely known as the “Godfather of AI” recently made headlines not just for warning about the risks of artificial intelligence, but for giving some surprising career advice (https://tinyurl.com/y7r3t8kj): “A good bet would be to be a plumber.”

Hinton’s point was that while AI will rapidly replace or reshape many white-collar jobs, skilled trades – those requiring hands-on expertise, problem-solving in the physical world, and human adaptability – are far more resistant to automation. A pipe doesn’t care how powerful your chatbot is.

When someone like Hinton points directly to plumbing as an example, it carries weight. For those in the trades, this isn’t just flattery from one of the brightest minds in technology. It’s a recruitment opportunity.

AI disruption is real

Across industries, automation and AI are accelerating. Roles in law, finance, media and even software engineering are changing faster than most workers can keep up. Tech layoffs are making national news, and in that uncertainty, people are asking a critical question: What kind of work will still be here in 10, 20, or 30 years?

That’s where the trades stand apart. Plumbing, electrical work, HVAC, carpentry, welding and construction are fields that can’t simply be outsourced to an algorithm or performed remotely by a robot. Even with advanced tools, they require a human being with tools, training, adaptability and situational judgment onsite.

And the demand is only growing. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters is projected to grow 6% between 2023 and 2033, faster than the average for all occupations. That translates to roughly 43,300 job openings each year, much of it driven by retirement and workforce turnover.

Zooming out, the construction sector overall will need about 663,500 new workers each year through 2033 to meet demand, according to BLS data on construction and extraction occupations.

Recruitment strategy

Business owners in the trades are feeling the pinch from the skilled trade shortage. As experienced workers retire, younger replacements aren’t entering the trades fast enough.

That’s why leveraging Hinton’s comment is more than clever marketing, it’s a way to reframe the conversation. Here’s how to make it part of your recruiting toolkit:

Lead with authority: Mention Hinton by name in job postings, social media ads or career fair materials: “Even the Godfather of AI says the future is in the trades.” This instantly reframes trades as a smart, forward-looking career choice.

Target career changers: Many mid-career professionals in tech, media and finance are rethinking their options. A LinkedIn post showing how their skills, systems thinking, troubleshooting, project management, can apply to plumbing or electrical work could resonate.

Highlight short training pathway: Be upfront that the trades require training and certification but emphasize how quickly someone can be job-ready compared to a four-year degree.

Tie it to stability and growth: Use Hinton’s comment to open a bigger discussion about long-term job security, earning potential, and opportunities to own a business.

Make it part of your story: When speaking at high schools, community events, or job fairs, use Hinton’s comment as an icebreaker. It’s surprising and could spark curiosity.

The bigger picture

If we want to close the skills gap, we need more than individual hiring efforts, we need a coordinated industry message. 

When a world-renowned AI pioneer says that a plumbing career (and the skilled trades, overall) is one of the safest bets in the modern economy, we should be leveraging that endorsement.

Too often, recruitment in the trades focuses on the aging workforce and difficulty finding good workers. While these challenges are real, they don’t inspire someone to sign up. By borrowing the credibility of one of the world’s most influential tech thinkers, we can flip the script: The trades are not a fallback option. They are a future-proof, tech-resistant, high-demand career path that needs people now.

Recruitment is not just about filling positions, it is also about shifting perception. In an era when AI is rewriting the rules for so many careers, the trades have a rare advantage needing human hands, human judgment, and human presence.

If Geoffrey Hinton thinks that’s worth betting on, the next generation of workers might too.

Ryan Woodward is the owner and CEO of National Technical Institute (NTItraining.com), a state-approved trade school with campuses in Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Houston specializing in HVAC, plumbing, and electrical training.