How many of you thought a decade ago you’d be in a close relationship with someone named Siri or Alexa? And that you’d be calling their names multiple times a day for any number of reasons. Need to know the weather forecast? Ask Siri. Want to jam to R.E.M.’s It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine) as you clean the house? Just tell Alexa.
Alexa and Siri are just two examples of the ubiquitous presence of technology in our modern lives. These and many other related technologies are increasingly powered by artificial intelligence (AI), a technology destined to alter our lives and the future course of history.
As we’ll examine in this article, AI is infiltrating nearly every aspect of anything even remotely related to modern technology. Its popularity is exploding and isn’t expected to slow down anytime soon. To the contrary, AI is driving investments across the United States and the rest of the world as companies and governments seek to capitalize upon and dominate the development of AI and its many applications.
To fuel demand for AI, data centers are popping up all across the U.S. As they do so, they’re driving exponential growth in many different types of industries. Like what has occurred with many of the technologies that preceded AI, the exponential growth we’re seeing can be a double-edged sword.
It’s good news for those looking for a boost to the economy. On the other hand, this growth will likely only worsen the skills gap issue that has plagued industry for decades, resulting in hundreds of thousands of manufacturing positions going unfilled. With the AI boom, the number of unfilled positions could grow into the millions.
Fortunately, solutions exist. If industry stakeholders, educational institutions, and governments at every level work together toward the common goal of increasing the talent pipeline of skilled workers, the U.S. can turn the AI boom into a powerful economic driver. At the end of this article, we’ll take a look at some of the unique technical training solutions Amatrol offers that can help schools and companies equip workers with the hands-on skills they need to succeed in this brave new world.
Driven by Data
Have you noticed how much emphasis is put on data today? As human beings, we tend to generate a lot of data. For example, there’s personal data, like our birth date, social security number, etc., that we take great pains to protect.
Thanks to modern technology, however, we’re often more free with other personal data that can be quite valuable to a wide range of companies. We’re talking about your likes and personal interests. Many companies, especially social media platforms, use that type of data to tailor an experience designed to appeal to every individual in a personal and relevant way.
There’s also a vast amount of data we generate daily simply by our activities and daily routines. According to a Manufacturing Dive article by Sara Samora, “a 2023 Deloitte report noted that the average U.S. household has 13 device types and 21 connected devices.”
Does that seem like a lot to you? When you start counting, though, they add up quickly. Smartphones, tablets, televisions, and the like are just the top of the heap these days. It seems like nearly everything we use today can be connected to the Internet, and that means data. “Items such as thermostats, smart watches, blinds and dishwashers are now connected devices, requiring data storage to house the information the smart devices generate.”
We take for granted that much of that data is stored in “the cloud” today. When we say “the cloud,” though, what we’re really talking about are data centers. Growth in this area has been unprecedented. For example, “[b]etween 2010 and 2018, global data center workloads and virtualized computing resources increased sixfold as organizations moved away from smaller data halls toward larger, cloud-efficient data centers.”
Data from humans and their households, however, pales in comparison to the data generated by industry. For example, the use of advanced automation technologies, including AI and machine learning, has revolutionized modern manufacturing. This revolution even has a name: the Fourth Industrial Revolution, or Industry 4.0, describes the incredible, transformative impact these technologies have had on today’s manufacturers.
According to a recent survey by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), “[a]t present, approximately 51% of manufacturers use AI, 60% plan to install AI in their operations by 2027, and about 80% said the technology will be vital to grow or maintain their businesses by 2030.”
When you see this avalanche of personal and industrial data increasing year after year, it’s no surprise that there’s a sudden interest in building AI data centers as quickly as possible. Add in the desire to develop bigger and better AI applications and you’ve got a perfect storm of circumstances requiring an ever-growing number of AI data centers across the country.
Exponential Growth
The good news is that the AI data center boom we’re currently experiencing is driving exponential growth across a variety of industries. For example, some of the major industries seeing huge benefits from the proliferation of AI data centers include construction, electrical component manufacturing, power generation, and heating, air conditioning, and ventilation (HVAC).
According to Samora, “[d]irect employment in the U.S. data center market grew by over 50% from 2017 to 2023…[and] the data center industry’s total annual employment contribution increased by 60% over the same period, from 2.9 million jobs to 4.7 million jobs.”
Moreover, “people building the data centers and manufacturing and installing the equipment inside the facilities represent additional economic benefits.” “The electrical equipment manufacturing segment has invested heavily in the data center market” to ensure the steady supply of key components, such as “wiring, cable, motors and transformers.”
Construction of data centers might sound simple. After all, they’re just big rooms full of computers, right? Well, yes and no. The advanced technologies they house consumer vast amounts of resources in terms of both electricity and water. As a result, construction is rarely straightforward or “simple” in any common sense of the word.
For example, “Don Slaiman, political coordinator for Local 26 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, said the union has found that nearly 25% of its construction in the data center market involves retrofitting, as its members update and upgrade electrical infrastructure.”
Slaiman notes that “[t]he evolution of what is placed in these data centers changes so quickly…[s]o we got manufacturing, we got maintenance, we got construction, and we got retrofitting. So it’s a gift that keeps on giving for workers.”
One roadblock that proposed data centers routinely run into is power. Electrical grids across the country are already stretched to the max in many areas, and AI data centers are threatening to take them to the breaking point and beyond. Moreover, residents don’t want to suffer increased energy bills to help make up for the impact of new data centers.
It’s an issue with no easy answers right now. According to a Utility Dive opinion piece by Jeff Jakubiak, “[i]n every corner of the country, data centers are reshaping energy demand. Artificial intelligence, cloud computing and the digital economy have converged to create an unprecedented need for power-hungry facilities. New projects routinely propose loads exceeding 50, 100 or even 300 MW. This is not a temporary surge — it is a long-term structural shift in electricity demand.”
According to Jakubiak, “[t]he scale of this growth is striking. Global data center power capacity is projected to more than triple — from 81 GW in 2024 to 277 GW by 2035.” He urges that everyone must understand that “[p]ower is the currency of the modern economy and regions that can deliver it reliably and affordably will win the competition for jobs and investment.”
When you’re dealing with AI data centers consuming that much power, it’s obvious that heat generation will be an issue. That’s why HVAC contractors are also seeing a boom in business as they’re tasked with keeping these massive facilities and the delicate technologies they house cool and comfortable.
Growing data center demand has even begun to influence involved industries to seek interesting new partnerships. For example, Industry Week recently reported on the acquisition of Boyd Thermal by Eaton: “Eaton announced Monday it will acquire the Boyd Thermal business of Boyd Corporation for $9.5 billion. The deal, expected to close in Q2 2026, will enhance Eaton’s existing portfolio to fulfill the rapidly growing needs of data centers.”
Boyd Thermal Chief Executive Officer Doug Britt recognizes the symbiotic relationship between the companies: “Our decades of expertise in liquid cooling, combined with Eaton’s premier positioning in intelligent power management, will deliver innovation in scaling and efficiency to address the high-power demand of AI data centers.”
Britt is “confident that combining Eaton’s chip-to-grid power and Boyd’s Chip-to-Ambient cooling architectures will help accelerate the deployment of future AI data centers.” As AI data centers continue to multiply, we’re likely to see more companies look for mutually beneficial relationships to address the particular demands that AI data centers pose.
Growing Pains
Of course, all of this good news has to be countered by some bad news. In the case of AI data centers and the exponential growth they’re encouraging across the industries we’ve discussed, the downside is that this growth will only serve to worsen a problem that’s already plagued industry for decades: the skills gap.
According to NAM, “[a]s of August [2025], there are about 409,000 manufacturing job openings, and that number is expected to reach 3.8 million by 2033.” Simply put, the demand for highly skilled workers across industry is outpacing the supply of such workers. Every new AI data center makes that skills gap just a little bit wider.
Manufacturers, in particular, have been struggling with the skills gap for decades now. As new advanced automation technologies continue to transform the way manufacturers operate, the workers they need must have more skills than ever before.
It will be necessary for manufacturers to work together with educational institutions and governments at all levels to improve the pipeline of highly skilled talent preparing to work in industry. Hard questions must be asked and answered: how do companies and schools train the next generation of professionals with the skills they need to succeed in the modern workplace?
It can help to partner with established companies to provide industrial-quality training systems that will stand the test of time and ensure a competent workforce. Amatrol offers the most complete range of training systems and tools to teach the entire array of critical skills that workers need to meet the demand for more AI data centers.
For example, here is a sample of the programs and training systems Amatrol offers relevant to meet AI data center construction demand:
- Construction Technology Training Program
- Advanced Manufacturing Training Program
- Electrical/Power Generation Training Solutions
- HVAC Training Solutions
Consult with an expert at Amatrol today to learn how you can take the first step toward teaching the electrical skills that will set learners up for success in the modern workplace.
About Duane Bolin
Duane Bolin is a former curriculum developer and education specialist. He is currently a Marketing Content Developer in the technical training solutions market.
