As Big Tech pours billions of dollars into America's data center buildout, a surge of work has opened up for the electricians wiring these massive facilities. But according to WIRED, some of those workers are questioning whether taking the job is a sellout — sparking debate within online communities about the ethics of contributing to AI infrastructure.
The Data Center Boom and Electrician Demand
The scale of data center projects and their demanding construction timelines are fueling talent wars for the industry's best and brightest, WIRED reported. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) has argued that its workers are "powering the AI Revolution," and a set of "Data Center Principles" published in March states that union labor is "essential to the future of AI." Tech companies are responding: Meta recently announced a skilled trade academy program, and Google committed $50 million to help train people in skilled trades.
Ethical Debates Within the Trade
Threads about how AI will affect the economy now populate r/electricians, a subreddit with around half a million monthly visitors, according to WIRED. Some users wonder whether the work will eventually lead to widespread job losses. Others question whether their labor makes them complicit in damage done to local communities. For some, the answer is a firm no — work is work.
One electrician based in the Midwest told WIRED he no longer reveals his occupation when dating, because "the conversation shifts or gets shut down altogether" when he does. He recalled people telling him "how terrible it is that you're contributing to something like that." "That's usually the last time you hear from them," he said. (He, like others, requested anonymity because he isn't authorized to speak to reporters.) Despite his concerns about scams and "corporate greed," he sought out data center work and took a pay cut to get in. He was promoted to management within months and hopes to transition into an engineering role. "I did just see it as, 'Well, this is most likely going to be a major part of our future. And if you can't beat them, join them,'" he said.
An IBEW electrician named Ryan, on the other hand, told WIRED he has never worked at a data center and probably never will. He said he distrusts corporations operating within what he sees as a rightward political shift and believes executives like Elon Musk and Alex Karp are "suspicious at best." He is also concerned about an AI bubble. Ryan has some agency through his union — he can say no to a job. His branch occasionally offers small jobs for local data centers, which he has found easy to avoid. Even if out of work, he would find it "really tough to want to take that job call." Still, he added, "if they're going to get built, I'd rather they go union."
| Electrician | Position on Data Center Work | Key Concern |
|---|---|---|
| Midwest (anonymous) | Works at data center, sees upward mobility | Scams, corporate greed, social stigma |
| Ryan (IBEW) | Avoids data center work | Right-wing governance, AI bubble, distrust of tech executives |
| Jesse (IBEW) | Willing to work but has concerns | Community pushback; says issues should be addressed to governments, not electricians |
Individual Decisions and Future Outlook
Jesse, another IBEW electrician, told WIRED he has concerns about community pushback to data centers. "I think it's ridiculous if, to build a data center or any kind of a business, you're going to significantly impact the lives of that community in a negative way," he said. But he believes those issues should be addressed by contacting state and local governments, not by begrudging electricians who need the work. WIRED noted that this sentiment is common among the tradespeople interviewed.
The debate highlights a tension between economic opportunity and ethical qualms as the data center buildout accelerates. For CTOs and technology procurement leaders overseeing these projects, understanding the workforce's mixed feelings may be key to navigating labor relations and community engagement strategies.
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