AI companies are coming for the plumbers

The discussion centers on an AI lab offering free plumbing and HVAC repairs to gather training data, and commenters split over whether trades will actually be automated. Many argue robotics are far from ready: root_axis, macinjosh, jrflo and others point to the variability, tight spaces, improvisation and risk in real homes (RajT88’s sink-fitting saga is cited as typical), making full robot replacement decades away. Several warn that liability, licensing and insurance will block rapid adoption, and mention examples of damage from field tests (robertclaus). At the same time, zemvpferreira and others predict an earlier, cheaper wave where AR/LLM guidance turns unskilled workers into “meatpuppets” executing AI instructions, and commenters like seanmcdirmid and foobarian note LLMs plus AR could empower DIYers.

Opinion divides more on economic and social impact than pure feasibility. SloopJon calls the company’s offer a possible prisoner’s dilemma - paid short-term training that displaces workers later - while kube-system and boelboel compare it to private-equity playbooks that deskill and script work. dgemm and xnx foresee AI lowering barriers for DIY and lower-skilled handymen, reducing demand for pros; kaffekaka and others insist they’d still pay trusted skilled tradespeople. Others, like dyauspitr and toddmorey, separate which physical jobs will be automated soon and warn companies are highly motivated to capitalize on any path that reduces labor costs.