Even barber jobs may not be safe: Harsh Goenka shares video of a barber training an AI in India

Artificial intelligence is no longer being discussed only in the context of software engineers, customer service workers or office jobs. Even barber jobs are no longer safe. Harsh Goenka, the RPG Enterprises chairman known for his witty social media takes, just posted a video that has people talking. Goenka shared the video showing what appears to be a barber undergoing training with the help of an AI-powered system. The footage has raised a simple but unsettling question: if machines can learn the movements and techniques of skilled workers, how many professions that depend on human hands could eventually be affected?

Sharing the video, Goenka wrote, “AI training going on India! Even barbers job may soon be at risk.”

What does the video show?

The clip appears to show a barber carrying out his regular work while technology tracks or analyses the process. The idea is that such human movements can potentially be captured as data and used to train artificial intelligence systems or robots.



That makes the video interesting for a reason beyond the barbering profession. Cutting hair requires a combination of hand movement, precision, timing and visual judgement. These are skills that have traditionally been learned through practice and experience rather than from computer instructions. If machines can successfully learn such movements, the implications could extend well beyond salons.

Why barbers are part of the AI jobs debate

For years, discussions around automation largely focused on factory workers and repetitive industrial jobs. Generative AI has now pushed the debate into offices, with writing, coding, design, research and customer support among the areas being transformed. But physical jobs have remained a different challenge.

A machine may be able to generate text in seconds, but replicating the movements of a skilled human worker is considerably more complicated. Advances in robotics, computer vision and machine learning are gradually changing that equation.

Goenka's post highlights that shift in a rather unusual way. The concern is not necessarily that a barber will suddenly disappear from a salon, but that technology could eventually learn enough of the process to automate parts of the job.

From factories to everyday services

The development also reflects how AI and automation are moving into areas that once appeared relatively insulated from technology. Earlier, automation was most visible on factory floors, where machines could repeatedly perform the same industrial task. Today, computer vision and AI systems can analyse human movements and increasingly assist with physical work.

A similar debate recently followed another video shared by Goenka, this time showing a machine apparently applying intricate mehendi designs to a woman's hands. The post triggered discussion about whether machines could eventually replace traditional, skill-based work. The barber video takes the same debate one step further.

Does this mean barber jobs are actually at risk?

Not necessarily, at least not immediately. A viral demonstration is not evidence that AI-powered barbering machines are ready to replace professional barbers at scale. Haircuts involve more than simply repeating a predetermined movement. Customers have different hair types, head shapes, preferences and styles, while barbers also make decisions during the haircut based on what they see.

There is also a human element. Many customers visit a particular barber because they trust the person's judgement and skill. Still, technology does not have to completely replace a profession to change it. AI could first take over selected tasks, assist workers or reduce the amount of human intervention required.

The bigger question is about skills

The video shared by Goenka ultimately points to a larger question about the future of work. As AI systems become better at learning from human behaviour, the dividing line between jobs that can and cannot be automated may become less obvious. A profession that appears completely dependent on human skill today could eventually have machines assisting with at least some of its tasks.

For workers, that could make learning new technology as important as learning the traditional craft itself. The barber in the video may therefore be less a symbol of an immediate job crisis and more a glimpse of where automation could be heading. The bigger challenge will be figuring out how humans and machines work together before technology gets good enough to do the work alone.