Will AI replace Industrial Machinery Mechanics?
Estimated risk score: 30 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 (11 to 49).
For the occupation as a whole, from ratings of its 16 O*NET tasks published in 2023 and calibrated to our hand scores. A specialty inside it can sit higher or lower.
O*NET-SOC 49-9041.00 · Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
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: 3 of its 16 rated tasks. In O*NET’s words.
- Enter codes and instructions to program computer-controlled machinery.
- Record repairs and maintenance performed.
- Record parts or materials used and order or requisition new parts or materials, as necessary.
Tasks rated in 2023 as not sped up by AI
Tasks such a model was rated as not speeding up or taking over: 10 of its 16 rated tasks; the first 6 are shown. In O*NET’s words.
- Clean, lubricate, or adjust parts, equipment, or machinery.
- Cut and weld metal to repair broken metal parts, fabricate new parts, or assemble new equipment.
- Disassemble machinery or equipment to remove parts and make repairs.
- Examine parts for defects, such as breakage or excessive wear.
- Operate newly repaired machinery or equipment to verify the adequacy of repairs.
- Reassemble equipment after completion of inspections, testing, or repairs.
What the job is
Repair, install, adjust, or maintain industrial production and processing machinery or refinery and pipeline distribution systems. May also install, dismantle, or move machinery and heavy equipment according to plans.
Also called: Fixer, Feltman, Reed Man, Outfitter, Comb Fixer, Pin Pusher, Channel Man, Comb Setter.
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