Venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya recently joked that there are “no jobs left” in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). This comes as recent developments at major U.S. corporations prove otherwise: Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) and Corning Inc. (NYSE:GLW) are adding thousands of manufacturing roles to build AI infrastructure, while Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F) is rehiring hundreds of human engineers after its automated quality systems failed to meet expectations.
Infrastructure Boom Fuels Hiring
Poking fun at the pervasive narrative that AI will quickly replace the human workforce, Palihapitiya posted on X: “Please tell Corning and Jensen to stop hallucinating. Dario told me no jobs left,” sarcastically referencing Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. The physical reality on the ground, however, tells a vastly different story.
Corning and Nvidia have partnered to build three new advanced optical fiber manufacturing facilities in North Carolina and Texas, a move expected to create over 3,000 jobs. The surge in AI data centers is driving a massive need for physical infrastructure, shifting the focus from software to manufacturing.
“AI is a huge job creator, and it’s a huge manufacturing job creator,” stated Corning CEO Wendell Weeks told Fox News. Highlighting the overlooked physical components of the tech boom, Weeks noted, “The common story is AI being powered by chips, but actually, those chips are connected by glass.”
Ford’s AI Reality Check
While the AI boom is creating jobs at the infrastructure level, attempts to replace complex human judgment with software have encountered expensive roadblocks. Ford Motor recently hired 350 veteran engineers after realizing its heavy reliance on automated quality control systems had fallen short.
According to Ford executives, the automated results “were not good enough” to spot failure points before parts reached factories. The automaker was forced to bring back experienced engineers to oversee quality and mentor younger workers—a course correction that has already saved the company hundreds of millions of dollars.
“Mistakenly, we thought that by just introducing artificial intelligence and adjusting the design requirements that we had, that would produce a high-quality product,” admitted Ford Vice President Charles Poon. Ultimately, Ford’s multi-million-dollar reset proves that the AI revolution still requires a firm human touch.
How Has GLW Performed In 2026?
GLW shares have surged 151.98% year-to-date, 24.86% over the last month, and 319.53% over the year. The stock closed 13.62% lower at $220.63 apiece on Wednesday, and it was down 2.82% in the premarket on Thursday.
Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that GLW maintains a strong price trend in the short, medium and long term, with a poor value score.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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