Will Artificial Intelligence Lead the Way to the Unemployment Line? 'Dirty Jobs' Host Mike Rowe Says Yes

Whenever I hear about someone being 100 years old, one of the first things I think of is how much history they have witnessed in their lifetime. Today's centenarians were alive when radio, landline telephone, and Ford Model Ts were the height of technology, and now, for the home computers, cell phones, and electric cars of today. They have also witnessed the changes in American jobs over the past 100 years. In 1951, my dad's first job was as a pin setter in a bowling alley when he was 15. Pinsetters being replaced by technology is a natural progression. But now, a familiar name is sounding the alarm that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is coming for even more American jobs.
 

Mike Rowe: “We’ve been telling kids for 15 years to learn to code.”

“Well, AI is coming for the coders.”

“It’s not coming for the welders, the plumbers, the steamfitters, the pipefitters, the HVAC, or the electricians.”

“In Aspen, I sat and listened to Larry Fink say we need… pic.twitter.com/3ZpvEgP0Ha

— Holden Culotta (@Holden_Culotta) July 16, 2025

Mike Rowe is the host of the Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs." He has long been an advocate for America's blue-collar workers, and getting the message out to young people that college is not always what it's cracked up to be, and that learning a skill or trade that is in high demand could be their best career decision in light of the emergence of AI. On Tuesday, Rowe spoke at the Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit and issued a dire warning. He said:
 

"We've been telling kids for 15 years to code. 'Learn to code,' we said. Yeah, well AI is coming for the coders. It’s not coming for the welders, the plumbers, the steamfitters, the pipefitters, the HVAC, or the electricians.”
 

Rowe went on to illustrate the ever-deepening shortage of blue-collar workers in the U.S. One of the most startling things: He claimed that Black Rock CEO Larry Fink once said to him that over the next several years, the U.S. will need roughly 500,000 electricians. Some of the other statistics are eye-opening as well. The automotive industry is short 80,000 collision repair technicians. The energy industry is short 300,000 to 500,000 employees, and manufacturing is short 400,000 employees.