AI Godfather Geoffrey Hinton’s chilling warning: AI could replace you unless you are a...

In a world moving quickly toward automation, one of the creators of modern artificial intelligence is raising serious concerns about what happens next.

Geoffrey Hinton

, the British-Canadian computer scientist often called the “Godfather of AI,” has made a rare public statement about what kinds of jobs are most at risk—and which ones might survive.Hinton, who helped lay the foundation for AI systems that now power everything from chatbots to medical tools, left his role at Google in 2023. Since then, he’s been speaking more freely about the risks of the technology he helped create. In a recent interview on The Diary of a CEO podcast with Steven Bartlett, Hinton discussed the future of work in a world shaped by powerful machines. And in a surprising turn, he said there’s one career path that may be safer than most: plumbing.

AI Godfather’s urgent warning: Want job security? Learn plumbing

While talking about the risks of AI, Hinton made a simple point: machines are good at thinking, not at fixing pipes. “It’s going to be a long time before [AI is] as good at physical manipulation as us,” he said. “A good bet would be to be a plumber.”

Plumbing is hard to automate. It involves manual skill, real-world judgment, and problem-solving in unpredictable settings. A plumber might need to crawl under a sink, deal with unusual water pressure, or fix something without a manual. These aren’t tasks AI systems are built to handle.According to Hinton, jobs that rely on hands-on skills are less likely to be taken over by AI anytime soon. While machines can handle large amounts of data and even draft documents, they still can’t climb ladders or tighten valves. That gives trade jobs—especially ones like plumbing, electrical work, and carpentry—an edge in the AI era.

A personal warning from the AI Godfather

Now 77, Hinton didn’t try to hide how conflicted he feels. He admitted that he’s still processing the full consequences of his work. “Intellectually, you can see the threat,” he said. “But it’s very hard to come to terms with it emotionally.”He said he worries about the future his children and grandchildren might face. In the interview, he painted a picture that was both realistic and unsettling. He talked about a world where AI systems could eventually control power plants and critical infrastructure. If these systems become fully independent, they may not need people at all.“If AI ever decided to take over,” he warned, “it would need people for a while to run the power stations—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.”Hinton didn’t say this will happen. But he made it clear that it could. And in his view, that’s reason enough to take it seriously.

Office jobs face AI pressure, says ‘Godfather of AI’

While plumbers may be safe for now, Hinton believes many office jobs won’t be. He pointed to legal assistants and paralegals as some of the first roles being reshaped by AI.These jobs often involve reviewing contracts, analyzing documents, or summarizing information—all tasks that large language models can already handle. With AI tools now able to draft legal text and even predict case outcomes, the need for human support roles in law firms could shrink.Hinton wasn’t trying to be dramatic. He was simply stating what the data shows. “In a society which shared out things fairly, everybody should be better off,” he said. “But if you can replace lots of people by AIs, then the people who get replaced will be worse off.”In other words, the shift may boost productivity, but it might not help everyone equally.

Growing inequality could be the real problem

Beyond the risks of job loss, Hinton pointed to a deeper issue: inequality. As companies adopt AI, many workers may be pushed out, while only a small group—those who own or run these companies—stand to benefit.If not managed carefully, this could lead to a wider gap between rich and poor. People in manual jobs may still find work, but others—especially those in mid-level white-collar roles—may struggle to adapt.And while AI might create new jobs, Hinton warned that the pace of change could be too fast for many to keep up.

A future that’s still unwritten

Hinton’s message wasn’t meant to scare people. It was meant to make them think. He didn’t claim to know how the future will unfold. But he said it’s time to have an honest conversation about what’s coming.For now, the most valuable skills may not be digital ones—but physical ones. Fixing a leak, rewiring a switchboard, or installing a water heater might be harder to replace than people think.And that’s something worth remembering.