The race to dominate artificial intelligence is creating an unexpected bottleneck: human hands.
OpenAI has warned the White House that its ambitious data center and energy projects will demand tens of thousands of new tradespeople — enough to strain the nation’s skilled labor force and reshape it for years to come.
In its recent submission to the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), OpenAI framed AI as a “once-in-a-century opportunity,” but simultaneously delivered a sober assessment of the labor required to make it happen.
The labor constraint: 20% of skilled trades needed
The development of new AI models is heavily dependent on enormous data centers that are incredibly power-hungry.
To support its infrastructure expansion, OpenAI is already building six massive data centers under its Stargate project across Texas, New Mexico, Ohio, and Wisconsin. This initiative represents nearly 7 GW of planned capacity and over $400 billion in investment over the next three years.
However, scaling up requires a human investment as well. According to an analysis commissioned by OpenAI of its own construction plans, the US will need an estimated “20 percent of its current skilled trades workforce over the next five years” to complete the necessary “data centers and energy infrastructure.”
The company was specific about which trades would be in the highest demand, stating, “The country will need many more electricians, mechanics, metal and ironworkers, carpenters, plumbers, and other construction trade workers than we currently have.”
To address the shortage, OpenAI is rolling out its own plan to create new career pathways far beyond Silicon Valley.
Starting in 2026, the company plans to launch its Certifications and Jobs Platform. This initiative aims to partner with community colleges and trade schools near the Stargate sites—starting in places like Abilene, Texas, to provide training and certifications in the in-demand construction, energy, and technology roles.
OpenAI views this focus on the workforce as a core part of ensuring the benefits of the AI boom are widely shared. In his letter to the OSTP, Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane wrote, “We see this reindustrialization as a foundational way for the U.S. to ‘predistribute’ the economic benefits of the Intelligence Age from the very start.”
The energy paradox: Manpower to power the future
The labor crisis is inextricably linked to the energy crisis. OpenAI emphasized that the US must solve its power deficit, which the company calls an “electron gap” with China, to maintain its AI advantage. China added 429 gigawatts of new power capacity in 2024, compared to the US adding only 51 gigawatts.
To bridge that gap, OpenAI is urging the government to embark on an ambitious national project to generate 100 gigawatts of new energy each year.
The company further called for modernized regulations to accelerate energy permitting and the creation of a national strategic reserve for critical raw materials — a system modeled after the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
The list of essentials includes copper, aluminum, processed rare earth elements, and raw semiconductor materials. The goal, the company argues, is to “reduce our dependence on the PRC, stabilize prices during shortages, and ensure secure access to materials vital for US AI infrastructure.”
Lehane concluded, “If we make it possible for the US to occupy the center of this Age, it will lift all Americans regardless of where they live.”
