The future of artificial intelligence depends on finding more skilled humans for some very physical jobs.Listen · 10:39 min Juan Amarante working last week in the data center training lab at the Detroit Electrical Industry Training Center in Warren, Mich.Credit…Sarah Rice for The New York TimesJuly 29, 2026 See more of our coverage in your search results.Encuentra más de nuestra cobertura en los resultados de búsqueda. Add The New York Times on GoogleAgrega The New York Times en Google As an electrician in training in Detroit, Tyler Shelton spends most of his days popping down manholes to fix cables and other electrical gear. But lately, his company has sent many of its workers to a sprawling data center that just broke ground about an hour away.“Everybody wants that money,” Mr. Shelton, 29, said during lunch break at his apprenticeship’s twice-a-month classroom day. “We have work to do, but we’re also losing a good chunk of manpower to these data centers.”Soon, he could join them: OpenAI’s project in Saline Township is the biggest single investment in Michigan’s history, according to the state, requiring hundreds of electricians working 10-hour days, seven days a week. Despite the overtime bonanza, Mr. Shelton has mixed feelings.“I’d like to have a house in the next year or so,” he said. “So it’s like, I understand the draw, but I also like to have a life outside work.”The data center boom is on everybody’s mind at the Detroit Electrical Industry Training Center, where about 850 apprentices train between long days on the job. The megaprojects are pulling skilled trade workers into remote locations with some of the highest pay and bonuses that the industry had ever seen.The next generation of electricians is also top of mind for the artificial intelligence companies spending hundreds of millions of dollars to ensure they have enough people to build and run their data centers.Since ChatGPT was released, commercial construction jobs have risen, even as residential hiring has dipped.Percentage change in hiring for construction categories since November 2022 Note: Data is seasonally adjusted.Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.Lydia DePillis/The New York TimesThank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe.