Godfather of AI reveals the one job robots can't steal, and it does not need a desk

Time of India

6 hours ago

In a world fast tilting toward automation and
digital dominance
, Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton—widely revered as the "Godfather of AI"—has issued a chilling yet oddly hopeful revelation. While warning that
artificial intelligence
could one day pose an existential threat to humanity, the renowned computer scientist singled out one surprising profession he believes will remain untouched by the AI revolution: plumbing.
Hinton, who left
Google
in 2023 to speak freely about his growing concerns, recently appeared on
The Diary of a CEO
podcast hosted by Steven Bartlett. There, he offered a candid reflection on the trajectory of the technology he helped build—and the real-world consequences it may soon unleash.
'Train to Be a Plumber,' Hinton Says
While discussing the long-term risks of AI, Hinton remarked, 'I'd say it's going to be a long time before [AI is] as good at physical manipulation as us—and so a good bet would be to be a plumber.'
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Unlike jobs that rely heavily on deskwork and pattern recognition, plumbing requires intricate physical skills, situational improvisation, and hands-on expertise that AI currently can't replicate. In Hinton's view, it's the kind of job that could survive even in a future where many white-collar professions are replaced by machines.
Existential Dread from the Man Who Built It
The 77-year-old pioneer expressed deep emotional conflict over his role in creating AI. 'Intellectually, you can see the threat,' he said, 'but it's very hard to come to terms with it emotionally. I haven't come to terms with what the development of
superintelligence
could do to my children's future.'
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In a moment of raw honesty, Hinton admitted he finds it disturbing to think about AI's long-term impact, especially as it could one day operate power stations independently—and potentially decide that humans are no longer needed at all.
'If AI ever decided to take over, it would need people for a while to run the power stations,' he warned, 'until it designed better analog machines... There are so many ways it could get rid of people, all of which would, of course, be very nasty.'
iStock
In a viral podcast, Hinton advises training for hands-on jobs like plumbing, which he says are harder for AI to replace, unlike legal assistants who are already at high risk of automation. (Image: iStock)
Legal Jobs on the Chopping Block
While the wrench-wielders may breathe easy, Hinton also highlighted who might be first in the AI firing line:
legal assistants
and paralegals. These roles, heavy on documentation and pattern-based tasks, are already being encroached upon by AI tools capable of drafting, summarizing, and even predicting legal outcomes.
'In a society which shared out things fairly, everybody should be better off,' he noted. 'But if you can replace lots of people by AIs, then the people who get replaced will be worse off.'
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Hinton added that while the AI industry may boost productivity, it also threatens to deepen inequality. The companies building and using AI will likely benefit the most, leaving displaced workers and growing social disparity in their wake.
As machines begin to outthink us, it may just be the simplest, most tactile jobs—those involving pipes, pressure, and practical know-how—that end up being the last stronghold of human labor.
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