The AIxiety Pivot: Gen Z's Escape Plan from AI
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About this listen
Here's something nobody saw coming: the most tech-savvy generation in history is abandoning tech careers—and running toward construction, plumbing, and electrical work. 🔧
62% of Gen Z believe AI could replace their jobs within 10 years. 70% say AI has made them question their job security. And now, 60% say they're likely to pursue blue-collar work in 2026—up from just 25% during high school.
Career experts are calling it the "AIxiety Pivot."
The shocking numbers:
→ 60% of Gen Z likely to pursue trades in 2026
→ 37% of those WITH bachelor's degrees are pivoting to trades
→ 65% say a college degree won't protect them from AI
→ Elevator installers earning $100K+, plumbers in SF making $200K
But here's what we need to be honest about: trade jobs aren't completely safe either. Robotics is advancing fast, and we estimate trades have a 2-3 year lag behind knowledge work disruption—not permanent immunity.
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TIMESTAMPS
00:30 - Stats
01:30 - Are trade jobs safe?
02:30 - Capabilities of robotics
03:25 - What is the trade job disruption timeline
04:30 - Shortages of tradeworkers
05:30 - How to succeed in tradework (despite AI/robotics disruptions)
07:30 - Some work is probably best left to the robots
08:10 - Stats about Gen Z and college degrees + tradework
09:00 - What’s the value of a college degree today?
10:30 - How to leverage whatever degree you have (with AI/robotics)
12:00 - History of jobs and the economy from covid to today
13:00 - Impact of AI to the job market
13:30 - Looking out for what’s coming in the market (and what it means for you)
14:45 - The shocking new counterintuitive playbook companies are leveraging
16:20 - The opportunity trades provide for Gen Z (and others)
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So what should you actually do? We break it down.
🔗 Website: https://whataboutai.com
#GenZ #AIxiety #SkilledTrades #BlueCollar #FutureOfWork #CareerAdvice #AI
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