He’s Wrong. And Blue Collar Kids Deserve Better.
You’ve probably seen the meme or video clip floating around the internet.: “Don’t learn to code, become a plumber. AI will take white-collar jobs, the trades are safe.”
Usually you see this bullshit from America’s favorite blue collar dad, Mike Rowe. But when he says, “We’ve been telling kids for 15 years to learn to code… well, AI’s coming for the coders. It’s not coming for the welders, plumbers, HVAC techs or electricians,” well, that’s a dangerous oversimplification. Rowe’s quote is half-history, half-hype: “Learned trades aren’t going away?” Sure, for now. But thinking AI won’t affect the trades and future workers is just lazy thinking. Rowe completely ignores the necessary adaptation and skill transformation required for long-term career resilience in these fields.
This dinosaur doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
And the problem gets amplified when goofballs like PROUD UNION GUY on Tik Tok amplify this bullshit. (LINK)
A.I. IS going to affect the trades, and if you are unprepared, you’ll be at the bottom of the job scrap heap.
The question for blue-collar kids isn’t whether to join the trades, it’s how to show up prepared. The next wave of trades workers, HVAC, Plumbers, Electricians, etc. will be building housing, businesses, infrastructure and public works that were designed with A.I. The trades workers of tomorrow need to learn how to interface and work with these programs, or be pushed out by those who do. They need to learn how to operate AI diagnostics, understand a tools’ data streams, and use software scheduling smartly.
The next critical skill for tradespeople to learn is to pivot from merely mechanical repair to understanding, interpreting, and managing the AI-driven systems themselves. Proud Union Guy resists and ignores this. He’s a dinosaur spreading the message against adapting.
How will A.I. affect the blue collar workers of tomorrow (actually TODAY)?
1.) SMART TOOLS AND DIAGNOSTICS WILL BE FASTER AND SMARTER WITH A.I.
A.I. driven sensors and predictive software are transforming HVAC, plumbing and construction RIGHT NOW. For example, tools that detect leaks, optimize wiring installs and measure workflows are being implemented RIGHT NOW. Ignore it and you are one skill set behind the other guy wanting a job.
AI-powered computer vision and drones monitor jobsites in real-time, tracking progress, optimizing resource allocation, and successfully identifying potential safety hazards before incidents occur. Solutions such as “Spot the Dog” are already being deployed to monitor jobsites and scale resource efficiency. This provides supervisors with a constant, unbiased “extra set of eyes” on the ground.
2.) AUTOMATION DRIVES LARGE SCALE BUILDS
Warehouse robots prove that blue collar automation IS HERE. Modular construction, robotic drywalling, painting and welding are on the horizon. Learn to operate these tools and you become more valuable. Listen to PROUD UNION GUY’S advice and you’re lacking a skill set, making you dead weight on the payroll.
AI robotics are performing manual and repetitive tasks like bricklaying, welding, and demolition. These machines do not replace workers but rather support them, freeing human crews to focus on tasks requiring skill, accuracy, and good judgment. This functional division allows for greater overall productivity and reduces the physical strain on workers.
3.) A.I. PLANS AND SCHEDULES MORE EFFICIENTLY
Hey PROUD UNION GUY, guess what? YOUR BOSS needs to get the job done as quickly, efficiently and as cost effective as possible. A.I. does that. Software can plan crew schedules, order parts, estimate work hours, and cut out micromanagement. If you’re not efficient, you’re a dead weight on the payroll.
4.) A.I. MAKES WORKPLACES SAFER
The construction industry consistently faces the highest risk, accounting for 1 in 5 (20.8%) workplace deaths in the U.S.. Falls, slips, and trips are a leading cause, responsible for 31% of injuries and 38.5% of construction fatalities. In 2023, 96 of 345 fall deaths were in construction, more than any other industry. Non-fatal injuries are also rampant, with OSHA recording over 77,780 construction-related non-fatal injuries in 2016.
AI offers a powerful solution to these pervasive safety challenges by shifting from reactive responses to proactive prevention.
- Predictive Analytics for Hazard Identification
- Smart Cameras and Computer Vision
- Robotics for Dangerous Tasks
- Wearable Devices
- Enhanced Training
- Predictive Maintenance for Equipment
- Targeting Specific Injuries
- Falls
- Musculoskeletal Injuries
- Electrical Shocks
5.) ONLY THE TRADESPEOPLE THAT KNOW A.I. WILL BE MAKING BIG BUCKS
Proud union guy hates this image. It’s a glimpse of the future that is rolling out today and where he is left behind.
Let’s take a look at the current U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Yes, the one that Trump hates so much) trade salaries & tech sector compensation estimates.
HVAC/ Electrician tradesman MEDIAN pay today equals $60-70k per year
HVAC/ Electrician tradesman MEDIAN pay in 2030 is projected to $85- $100k per year.
BUT THE ONLY PEOPLE GETTING THAT RAISE ARE THOSE WHO LEARNED A NEW SKILL… A.I. ! That number increases when you include retention bonuses, overtime, union benefits, and upskilling premiums. Make yourself more valuable, you make more money, it’s that simple.
Rowe and influencer like Proud Union Guy brag that they never went to college and tells people AI will never affect union trades. He paints union membership as a fortress against technology.
Bullshit.
- Unions don’t block the future, they adapt or wither.
- If a union electrician can’t handle AI diagnostics or predictive outage detection tools, someone hired younger or more tech-savvy will.
- That isn’t a flaw in the trades, it’s a leadership moment: let members choose to learn or watch someone else take their job.
The evolving landscape of blue-collar work suggests that the future tradesperson will not necessarily become a coder, but rather a smarter professional who can leverage technology to enhance their craft. The future blue-collar worker is a hybrid of traditional skill and digital fluency, where the “toolbelt” now includes a tablet and an understanding of data.
Like the dinosaurs, it’s adapt or die. And Rowe and Proud Union Guy are spouting dinosaur bullshit. And that hurts kids.
The chorus of “AI won’t touch us” gospel is reckless. That message does far more damage than the AI threat itself. It robs young people of the chance to future-proof themselves.
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