Will AI replace Barbers?
Estimated risk score: 33 out of 100
Lower replacement risk
Estimate from published task research, not reviewed by a person · how we estimate
Within about 19 points for 4 in 5 of the jobs we checked (14 to 52).
For the occupation as a whole, from ratings of its 20 O*NET tasks published in 2023 and calibrated to our hand scores. A specialty inside it can sit higher or lower.
O*NET-SOC 39-5011.00 · Personal Care and Service
Tasks rated in 2023 as ones AI could do or speed up
Tasks a GPT-4-class model could do, or do in half the time or less: 5 of its 20 rated tasks. In O*NET’s words.
- Perform clerical and administrative duties such as keeping records, paying bills, and hiring and supervising personnel.
- Keep card files on clientele, recording notes of work done, products used and fees charged after each visit.
- Order supplies.
- Stay informed of the latest styles and hair care techniques.
- Record services provided on cashiers' tickets or receive payment from customers.
Tasks rated in 2023 as not sped up by AI
Tasks such a model was rated as not speeding up or taking over: 14 of its 20 rated tasks; the first 6 are shown. In O*NET’s words.
- Apply lather and shave beards or neck and temple hair contours, using razors.
- Clean and sterilize scissors, combs, clippers, and other instruments.
- Clean work stations and sweep floors.
- Cut and trim hair according to clients' instructions or current hairstyles, using clippers, combs, hand-held blow driers, and scissors.
- Drape and pin protective cloths around customers' shoulders.
- Shampoo hair.
What the job is
Provide barbering services, such as cutting, trimming, shampooing, and styling hair; trimming beards; or giving shaves.
Also called: Barber Stylist, Barber Shop Operator, Licensed Barber, Tonsorial Artist.
Source. This site includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. (O*NET, CC BY 4.0.) Task ratings: Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock (2023), “GPTs are GPTs: An Early Look at the Labor Market Impact Potential of Large Language Models”, data used under the MIT licence (licence texts). Our change: we averaged the ratings over this occupation’s tasks and calibrated them to our 0–100 scale. It is not a prediction about any one person and not career advice. Disagree? Write to hello@yourstopwashit.com. How we estimate