Image by Joniec Plumbing, from Unsplash

Blue-Collar Jobs Gain Popularity As AI Threatens Office Roles

• Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
• Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

Amid AI fears, more young Americans pursue blue-collar trades, finding stability in jobs computers can’t easily replace, like plumbing and painting.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

• Geoffrey Hinton advises workers to train for trades like plumbing.
• Survey shows 42% of Gen Z pursue blue-collar or skilled jobs.
• Robotics may replace some entry-level tasks but not complex skilled labor.

Amid rising fears about AI replacing office jobs, more young Americans are turning to blue-collar work, as reported by NBC News . Geoffrey Hinton, a Nobel Prize-winning computer scientist often called “the Godfather of AI,” recently offered a simple message : “Train to be a plumber.”

He added, “I think plumbers are less at risk. Someone like a legal assistant, a paralegal, they’re not going to be needed for very long,” as reported by NBC.

Technologists and tradespeople argue that skilled trades provide enduring job stability as computers cannot perform these tasks. Newly published Microsoft research indicates that AI impacts jobs most in sales, software development, office administration, education, legal and media fields.

The research points out how AI automation can easily perform information gathering tasks, writing duties, and teaching. However, physical tasks such as plumbing, construction, and skilled trades, remain safe from generative AI disruption as of now.

“Automation is a low threat to these jobs because it involves someone manually installing equipment, and many of those who do are getting close to retirement […] AI can’t replace parts or make improvisational decisions.” said Tony Spagnoli, director of testing and education for North American Technician Excellence, as reported by NBC.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts trade job openings will grow, while entry-level positions for college graduates stagnate, as reported by NBC. Similarly, LinkedIn’s chief economic opportunity officer Aneesh Raman warns that AI is destroying entry-level roles that serve as career foundations.

“It is our office workers who are staring down the same kind of technological and economic disruption,” Raman said. Tasks like code debugging and legal team support, once done by junior staff, are now automated.

Tech faces the biggest shake-up, but finance, travel, food, and professional services are next. Raman argues that this will produce more social inequality as people without elite connections would fall behind.

Given this climate, NBC reports that a survey of 1,400 Generation Z adults by Resume Builder shows how 42% are either working in blue-collar or skilled trade jobs or planning to do so. The main reasons behind this choice include student debt avoidance,reducing the risk of being replaced by AI.

“More Gen Z college graduates are turning to trade careers and for good reason,” said Stacie Haller, Resume Builder’s chief career adviser, as reported by NBC.

Experts warn AI may eventually affect manual jobs too. “Robotics is really coming up,” said Andrew Reece, chief AI scientist at BetterUP, as reported by NBC. “It’ll start replacing entry level jobs, such as driving trucks and moving equipment, but it may take time to start figuring out the complex work,” Reece added.

Yet, most agree humans remain essential. “It’s a very wide misconception that we are on the verge of having humanoid robots basically replace workers. In my mind, that’s a myth,” said Ken Goldberg, president of the Robot Learning Foundation, as reported by NBC.

However, the shift is already visible. Over 27,000 U.S. jobs have been cut due to AI since 2023, including more than 10,000 in July alone. Entry-level corporate roles fell 15% in one year, while the tech industry accounted for over 89,000 reductions this year, with AI driving much of the disruption.

Image by Nick Wang, from Unsplash

AI Models Now A New Playground For Online Gamblers

• Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
• Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

Gamblers are wagering millions on AI models like GPT-5 and Gemini, using social media, GitHub, and rankings to predict top performers.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

• Foster McCoy earned $10,000 betting against GPT-5 in August.
• Harvard student Rishab Jain monitors social media and GitHub for AI cues.
• AI trading volume reached $20 million this month, ten times higher than January.

Fans are placing big bets on AI models as if they were sports stars, as noted in a report by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

Prediction platforms Kalshi and Polymarket receive millions of dollars in monthly bets from gamblers who predict which AI model will perform the best. The AI arms race manifests across social media, ranking sites, and niche corners of the internet, creating opportunities for those looking to profit.

Foster McCoy, a 27-year-old day trader, made $10,000 in a few hours by betting against OpenAI’s GPT-5. “You’re just betting against what the other guy knows,” he says, crediting his success to “being chronically online,” as reported by WSJ.

McCoy operates his trading business from home using X, Discord and LMArena which provides a leaderboard rating system for AI models in blind tests. WSJ reports that since early 2025, he traded $3.2 million on Kalshi, earning $170,000.

Similarly, Harvard student Rishab Jain uses social media posts and GitHub repositories and source files to predict upcoming model releases. “I’m almost obsessively up-to-date with what’s going on in this world,” he says, as reported by WSJ. His efforts have earned him $3,500 since June.

Betting strategies vary: some focus on big AI players, others on lesser-known models or arbitrage opportunities between platforms. After GPT-5’s release, Elon Musk’s posts praising xAI Grok caused its “Grok to Win” market to spike over 500% before falling again, as noted by WSJ.

Trading volume on AI prediction markets has surged to roughly $20 million this month, ten times higher than at the start of 2025, a Kalshi spokesman says to WSJ. Each bet, or “contract,” reflects the odds, and bettors can cash out when the price rises.

Economics professor Robin Hanson notes to WSJ, “When you have better information in these kinds of markets, you can make better decisions. If you know a little more, you make more money.”

For now, AI betting attracts both sharks like McCoy and Jain, and casual players like James Cole, who says to WSJ, “I’m just a dude that likes tech and has some time and money. I’m speculating with mostly instinct and 10 minutes of research.”