From skilled trades to startups, AI’s rapid expansion is the beginning of the next massive computing platform shift, and for the world’s workforce, a move from tasks to purpose.
At a packed mainstage session at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang described artificial intelligence as the foundation of what he called “the largest infrastructure buildout in human history,” driving job creation across the global economy.
Speaking with BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Huang framed AI not as a single technology but as “a five-layer cake,” spanning energy, chips and computing infrastructure, cloud data centers, AI models and, ultimately, the application layer.
As every layer of AI’s five-layer stack must be built and operated,Huang said the platform shift is creating jobs across the economy – from energy and construction to advanced manufacturing,cloud operations and application development.
The application layer might focus on integrating AI into financial services, healthcare or manufacturing. “This layer on top, ultimately, is where economic benefit will happen,” Huang said.
From energy and power generation to chip manufacturing, data center construction and cloud operations, Huang said the AI buildout is already creating demand for skilled labor. He added that the largest economic benefit will come from the application layer,where AI is transforming industries such as healthcare,manufacturing and financial services – and changing the nature of work across the economy.
huang pointed to venture capital investment as a signal of how quickly AI is reshaping the global economy.
He said 2025 was one of the largest years for VC funding on record, with most of that capital flowing to what he described as “AI-native companies.”
Thes firms span healthcare,robotics,manufacturing and financial services – industries where,Huang said,”for the first time,the models are good enough to build on top of.”
That investment,Huang said,is translating directly into jobs.
He highlighted demand for plumbers, electricians, construction workers, steelworkers, network technicians and teams responsible for installing and operating advanced equipment.
Jobs With Purpose
AI, Huang said, likely won’t destroy jobs.Rather, it’s increasing demand in fields such as radiology, and helping handle administrative work in fields impacted by labor shortages – such as nursing.
AI has become a key tool in radiology, he said, yet there are now more radiologists than ever. “If you reason from first principles, not surprisingly, the number of radiologists has gone up,” Huang said.
He explained that the purpose of a radiologist’s job is to diagnose disease and help patients, while studying scans is just one task.
“The fact that thay’re able to study scans now infinitely fast allows them to spend more time with patients,” he said,adding that AI enables greater interaction with patients and other clinicians. And because they can also see more patients,there’s a need for more radiologists.
Huang said the same dynamic is playing out in nursing.
The U.S. faces a shortage of roughly 5 million nurses, in part because nurses spend nearly half their time on charting and documentation.
Here’s a breakdown of the key points from the provided text, presented as a summary:
Key Takeaways from Jensen Huang & Larry Fink’s Discussion at the World Economic Forum 2026:
* AI as Infrastructure: NVIDIA CEO jensen Huang argues AI should be considered essential national infrastructure, like electricity or roads, and every country should develop its own AI capabilities tailored to its language and culture.
* AI Accessibility: Huang emphasizes AI is remarkably easy to use, having reached nearly a billion users in just 2-3 years. This ease of use necessitates widespread AI literacy – the ability to direct, manage, and evaluate AI.
* Closing the Technology Gap: AI has the potential to bridge the technology divide, particularly for developing nations, due to its accessibility and abundance.
* Europe’s Advantage: Huang suggests europe can leverage its existing manufacturing and industrial strength by integrating AI,especially in robotics,which he calls a “once-in-a-generation prospect.”
* Investment is Crucial: Both Huang and fink beleive the world is not in an AI bubble, but rather needs substantially more investment to build the necessary infrastructure. 2025 saw over $100 billion in global VC investment,largely focused on AI startups.
* Broad Participation in Growth: Fink stresses the importance of ensuring average savers and pensioners benefit from AI’s growth through investment opportunities, rather than being left behind.
