The industrial workforce that underpins the global economy is entering a fragile moment. The technicians, engineers, and operators who keep factories running, power grids stable, utilities dependable, and supply chains efficient are retiring rapidly. At first glance, this transition may look like a normal generational handoff that will create more than 3.8 million open positions. But behind the headline figure is a serious concern: decades of practical, hard-won expertise are at risk of disappearing with them.
Even as emerging technologies—from artificial intelligence and robotics to computer vision—reshape industrial operations, society is edging toward a knowledge gap. The ability to identify a failing motor by the sound it makes, interpret analog engineering diagrams, or operate machinery older than the disco era remains difficult to automate, and even harder to teach in a classroom.
This type of know-how is almost never documented in a single place, yet it proves invaluable when systems break down or equipment falters. At the same time, generative AI is creating the illusion that any answer can be accessed instantly.
That tension is real — and it matters. Many younger industrial professionals, from manufacturing and utilities to logistics, are now asking a reasonable question: if software can provide responses in seconds, why spend years learning through hands-on experience and the occasional failure?
In industrial environments, the answer is straightforward. We cannot afford to lose accumulated expertise or train a workforce that leans on AI without understanding the full system it is supporting.
The promise of AI lies in its ability to capture and extend the knowledge required to keep the lights on, maintain production, and sustain modern life — and to apply that expertise at scale. Achieving this will demand both rapid adaptation to generative AI and a clear view of broader economic and global pressures. Done well, it opens the door to deeper collaboration between humans and AI, strengthening the essential industries that power the world’s economy for decades to come.