Not Just White-Collar Jobs: AI Could Soon Disrupt Work For Electricians, Plumbers Too

Generative AI is reshaping work far faster than early forecasts suggested, with many roles already changing. A fresh Cognizant study finds that 93 per cent of jobs are now considered AI-capable, and 30 per cent face fundamental change. The impact that was once projected for 2032 has arrived in under three years, leaving workers and companies rethinking the future of employment.

The findings sharply contrast with Cognizant’s own 2023 assessment, which had warned that generative AI could touch 90 per cent of jobs by 2032. That earlier analysis assumed a gradual rise in AI exposure, but the latest numbers show a much steeper curve. The organisation now says average AI exposure scores across occupations are 30 per cent higher than it expected for 2032.

AI jobs disruption and its rapid impact on global and US workforce

According to the update, Cognizant previously estimated AI exposure would rise about 2 per cent each year. The company now believes the real pace is closer to 9 per cent annually. Based on that acceleration, Cognizant calculates that around $4.5 trillion, or roughly Rs 427 lakh crore, of labour in the US alone could shift from human workers to AI systems.

This reassessment comes as global technology firms continue to trim their headcounts. Meta, Oracle and Amazon are among the companies that have removed thousands of roles in 2026. Data compiled by layoffs.fyi shows that 115,907 workers have already been laid off in 2026, after 124,636 tech employees lost jobs in 2025, adding urgency to questions about AI-linked job disruption.

AI jobs disruption beyond offices: plumbers, electricians and field work

Many discussions around AI jobs disruption focus on roles that are easy to automate, such as coding or digital services. However, Cognizant’s head of research Ollie O'Donoghue argues the impact runs far wider. O'Donoghue told Fortune, "Nobody's safe." The comment highlights concerns that both office staff and hands-on workers may need to adapt skills in response to AI systems.

O'Donoghue said even electricians and plumbers will see their work change as AI tools spread. Physical repairs should still need people on site, but other tasks may shift. O'Donoghue explained, "You'll still need someone to turn the wrench, no doubt, but the actual process of plumbing and the value that's added will change a little bit."

The Cognizant report illustrates how this could look in practice for a plumber on a job. It notes that "a multimodal reasoning agent today could notice a damp patch on a wall, infer a leaking joint, draft a repair plan and even generate an invoice or parts list". The study continues, "the plumber still fixes the pipe, but the inspection, diagnosis and supportive actions that lead up to or follow it can increasingly be assisted by AI."

AI jobs disruption, resilient occupations and new 'value pools’

Not every role appears equally exposed, though. In March 2026, Anthropic released a study that listed 22 occupations it expects to stay relatively insulated from AI for now. That research suggested installation and repair work could be among the less affected categories, even as Cognizant flags that such jobs will still evolve with more digital assistance.

While the new Cognizant analysis underlines risks for current workers, it also points to potential job creation. Cognizant chief business officer of AI Sushant Warikoo said AI could lead to fresh "value pools" across the economy. Warikoo added, "When that happens, it creates a lot more social economic development–that creates new jobs, new roles in the market." However, Warikoo stressed that firms would need an "operational model change" to really capture those benefits.

The debate over AI jobs disruption is also shifting among major technology leaders. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei have started to reshape how they speak about AI replacing white-collar roles. During Nvidia's GTC keynote on Monday, CEO Jensen Huang dismissed fears of total replacement, saying the idea of AI taking over all jobs was "complete nonsense." For now, evidence shows AI is already altering tasks, timelines and expectations, while the long-term balance between lost and created jobs remains under scrutiny.