We often hear that artificial intelligence will replace white-collar workers. Less frequently discussed is how AI will affect blue-collar workers.
Discussions about AI-driven job displacement in the skilled trades often conjure science-fiction images of humanoid robots performing household chores and manual labor. However, many blue-collar jobs remain relatively insulated from AI displacement, and workers in these industries could benefit from growing demand for the physical infrastructure that supports AI, including data centers.
Tim Metzner, founder of Cincinnati-based Fire Road Ventures, believes artificial intelligence can help blue-collar businesses become more efficient and competitive without replacing the workers who keep them running. That belief drives the investment strategy behind Fire Road, his latest venture.
In a conversation with Middle Tech’s Logan Jones, Metzner said he believes blue-collar jobs are relatively insulated from displacement by AI. While the hands-on work itself is unlikely to be replaced, Metzner sees opportunities for AI to automate administrative tasks.
“AI is not going to replace the plumber anytime soon. We've got this category, this class of businesses that I call AI-resistant,” Metzner said. “There are these blue-collar, Main Street, local-presence-required kind of companies that they're not going away anytime soon. AI is not going to disrupt them totally. But what it can do is build tools to help them run a better business.”
Small businesses, which include many blue-collar operations, employ nearly 46% of the country’s private-sector workforce, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. Research from McKinsey, a global consulting firm, suggests that small and midsize businesses account for about half of U.S. technology spending. Yet Metzner estimates that only about 3% of venture capital investment goes toward startups developing technology for those businesses.
Metzner believes Fire Road can help close that gap by investing in early-stage startups developing technology specifically for small businesses.
Another focus for Metzner is preserving institutional knowledge that could be lost as experienced workers retire from the skilled trades. Associated Builders and Contractors estimates that the U.S. construction industry needs to attract 349,000 additional workers in 2026, with retirements accounting for much of that demand.
Metzner worries that as baby boomers retire, decades of specialized knowledge, skills and tricks of the trade could disappear with them. However, he believes AI could help preserve that knowledge and pass it on to the next generation of workers.
“The tribal knowledge that exists in a lot of these businesses that are about to have a transition of these operators that have worked in these businesses for years and years and years – so much of the knowledge around how to run that business successfully is trapped in their heads,” he said. “How do you transition that knowledge to the next generation that's going to run these businesses and take them over and ultimately preserve the jobs that those businesses represent in these communities? I think that is a fantastic opportunity for AI.”
Metzner said many of Fire Road’s current partners are business owners and operators themselves. When evaluating potential investments, Fire Road prioritizes founders who use AI to accelerate software development and streamline customer acquisition while maintaining strong technical expertise. The firm also looks for entrepreneurs with specialized industry knowledge, relationships and insights that give them a competitive advantage.
Metzner's goal, though, is to help small businesses use AI to become more efficient, profitable and sustainable without replacing the workers who make them successful.
Listen to Logan’s conversation with Tim by clicking here.
