A striking claim has emerged from the global AI boom: artificial intelligence may do what decades of policy failed to achieve—turn traditionally low-paid manual jobs into six-figure careers.

The argument is simple but explosive.

AI infrastructure is not virtual; it requires vast data centers, constant power, and relentless physical maintenance.

That means electricians, construction workers, and plumbers suddenly become mission-critical to the world’s most valuable technology.

Supporters see a long-overdue reversal of economic snobbery against manual labor.

Critics see a glossy narrative designed to justify trillions in spending while masking deeper structural inequalities.

At stake is whether AI marks a genuine rebalancing of labor value—or merely a temporary bidding war that enriches capital long after wages normalize.