What does this mean for workers? AES's move touches 2 jobs, which together employ about 1.1 million people in the U.S. Across them, AI and robots already touch between 12m (solar photovoltaic installers) and 1h 35m (construction laborers) of a typical 8-hour shift. A single company's move is an early signal for these jobs, and the time cards show how far the change has spread nationally.
Rolling out means it is in use and spreading to more locations or teams.
On the floor
- AES sends Maximo solar robot fleet to California Bellefield project
AES sent a fleet of its Maximo robots to phase two of the Bellefield solar project in Kern County, California. Maximo has installed more than 35 MW of solar modules to date, and AES says it can install panels in half the time and at half the cost.
Renewable Energy World · Solar Photovoltaic Installers, Construction Laborers
Jobs affected
- Solar Photovoltaic Installers12m of 8h touched · 31,000 workers · $53k · +36.5% by 2035Where AI or robots show up most: Identify installation locations with proper orientation, area, solar access, or structural integrity for photovoltaic (PV) arrays (12m a shift, robots)
- Construction Laborers1h 35m of 8h touched · 1.1 million workers · $47k · +7.3% by 2035Where AI or robots show up most: Load, unload, or identify building materials, machinery, or tools, distributing them to the appropriate locations, according to project plans or specifications (59m a shift, robots)