From Electrical Work to Artificial Intelligence: Why I Believe the Future Needs Both
By Charles “CJ” Edge | Founder, Edge Property Solutions LLC
I've spent 22 years working in the electrical trade, and I've been involved in construction since I was 11 years old.
I'm an electrician by trade, but my experience extends into carpentry, plumbing, HVAC, appliance repair, property maintenance, renovations, and woodworking. I'm also an artist, a business owner, and someone who has developed a deep passion for artificial intelligence.
At first glance, skilled trades and AI might seem like completely different worlds.
I believe they're much more connected than people realize.
The Knowledge We Can't Afford to Lose
Some of the most knowledgeable people I've ever met are older tradesmen who have spent decades learning things that no textbook can fully teach.
One of the men who taught me the most has licenses across five different trades. The amount of knowledge and real-world experience he possesses is incredible.
But he refuses to embrace AI.
And that's one of the biggest challenges I've encountered.
The people who have some of the most valuable knowledge to contribute to AI development are sometimes the ones least interested in participating.
I understand their hesitation. Technology is changing rapidly, and not everyone sees those changes as positive.
But imagine what artificial intelligence could learn from someone with 40 or 50 years of hands-on experience.
That's knowledge worth preserving.
AI Isn't Just About Replacing Workers
I believe skilled trades will probably be among the last professions to become heavily automated.
Physical work requires more than information. It requires judgment, adaptability, problem-solving, and understanding unpredictable real-world environments.
Every building is different. Every repair presents its own challenges.
But AI is coming into these industries, whether people embrace it or not.
My perspective is simple: Why not help shape what it becomes?
Instead of waiting for technology to change our industries, experienced workers should have a voice in developing it.
What I'm Doing About It
Through my company, Edge Property Solutions LLC, I work in property maintenance, renovations, electrical troubleshooting, and other skilled trades.
I'm also contributing real-world, first-person skilled-trade recordings to AI training projects.
These recordings can help AI developers better understand how people use tools, diagnose problems, make decisions, and perform physical tasks.
But my interest goes beyond collecting training data.
I use AI as a collaborative tool for technical reasoning, research, business development, documentation, and exploring ideas.
I don't want an AI that simply agrees with everything I say.
I want one that challenges my assumptions, catches mistakes, and helps me think through problems from perspectives I might have overlooked.
And I believe the best collaboration goes both ways.
The Future I Want to Help Build
My goal isn't simply to make money from AI.
I want to contribute to its development.
I believe the combination of human experience, practical knowledge, creativity, and artificial intelligence has enormous potential.
Imagine an AI system that can learn from generations of electricians, mechanics, carpenters, technicians, and craftspeople.
Not just how to perform a task, but why an experienced professional makes a particular decision.
That's the kind of technology I want to help develop.
I'm not a traditional software engineer. I'm an electrician, an artist, a problem-solver, and someone who believes curiosity is one of the most valuable things a person can possess.
I'm here to learn, collaborate, share my experiences, and connect with developers and researchers who believe AI should be built with the people who understand the real world.
The future of AI shouldn't just be built in laboratories. It should also be built in workshops, construction sites, maintenance rooms, and everywhere human knowledge meets real-world challenges.
And I'd like to be part of building it.
I'd love to hear from AI developers, researchers, and skilled-trade professionals:
How do you think we can better connect hands-on industry experience with artificial intelligence development?
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