DAVOS,Switzerland,January 21,2026 – Artificial intelligence is poised to drive the “largest infrastructure buildout in human history,” according to NVIDIA founder and CEO jensen Huang,sparking a shift from routine tasks to more purposeful work across the global economy. The assertion came during a discussion at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting, where Huang painted a picture of AI not as a singular technology, but as a complex, five-layered system.
Huang, speaking with BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, described AI’s structure as encompassing everything from the foundational hardware to the applications that directly impact industries. The submission layer, focused on integrating AI into industries like finance, healthcare, and manufacturing, is where “economic benefit will happen,” Huang stated. He pointed to a surge in venture capital funding in 2025 – exceeding $100 billion globally – largely directed toward “AI-native companies” operating in these fields.
A New Era of Work
This investment isn’t just about tech jobs, Huang emphasized. The AI buildout is already creating demand for skilled labor in traditionally blue-collar fields, including plumbers, electricians, construction workers, steelworkers, and network technicians. He highlighted the potential for AI to augment existing roles, rather than eliminate them, citing radiology as an example.
“If you reason from first principles, not surprisingly, the number of radiologists has gone up,” Huang said, explaining that AI’s ability to rapidly analyze scans allows radiologists to dedicate more time to patient interaction and diagnosis – ultimately increasing the need for more professionals in the field.A similar trend, he suggested, is emerging in nursing, where AI can automate charting and documentation, addressing a critical labor shortage.
The U.S. currently faces a shortage of roughly 5 million nurses, with nearly half their time spent on administrative tasks. AI tools,such as those developed by Abridge and its partners,can alleviate this burden,improving productivity and potentially leading to increased hiring,Huang explained. He jokingly noted that observing himself and Fink at work might lead one to believe their primary task is typing, but automating that task wouldn’t eliminate their roles because it isn’t their core purpose.
AI as Foundational Infrastructure
Huang framed AI as essential national infrastructure,arguing that countries should treat it with the same importance as electricity or roads. “AI is infrastructure,” he said. “You should have AI as part of your infrastructure.” He urged nations to develop their own AI capabilities, tailored to their local languages and cultures, fostering “national intelligence” within their ecosystems.
Addressing concerns that AI benefits would be limited to the highly educated, Huang countered that AI is remarkably accessible. “AI is super easy to use – it’s the easiest software to use in history,” he said, noting that it has already reached nearly a billion people in just two to three years. This widespread adoption necessitates a focus on AI literacy, including the ability to “direct it, manage it, guardrail it, evaluate it.”
Bridging the Technology Gap
For developing countries, Huang believes AI presents an chance to close long-standing technology gaps due to its accessibility and abundance. Turning to Europe, he emphasized the region’s manufacturing and industrial strength as a key advantage, advocating for the fusion of industrial capability with artificial intelligence to unlock the potential of robotics. “Robotics is a once-in-a-generation opportunity,” particularly for nations with robust industrial bases.
Fink concluded the discussion by suggesting the world is far from experiencing an AI bubble, instead questioning whether enough investment is being directed toward this transformative technology. Huang agreed, stressing the need for considerable investment to build the necessary infrastructure for all layers of AI. He described the opportunity as “really quite exceptional” and encouraged widespread participation, reiterating that 2025 saw over $100 billion in global venture capital investment flowing into AI-native startups.
“These companies are building the application layer above,” Huang said, “and they’re going to need infrastructure – and investment – to build this future.” Fink added that ensuring broad participation in this growth is crucial, advocating for pension funds and average savers to benefit from the AI revolution.
