Will AI replace Insulation Workers, Mechanical?
Estimated risk score: 17 out of 100
Very low 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 (0 to 36).
For the occupation as a whole, from ratings of its 13 O*NET tasks published in 2023 and calibrated to our hand scores. A specialty inside it can sit higher or lower.
O*NET-SOC 47-2132.00 · Construction and Extraction
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: 1 of its 13 rated tasks. In O*NET’s words.
- Read blueprints and specifications to determine job requirements.
Tasks rated in 2023 as not sped up by AI
Tasks such a model was rated as not speeding up or taking over: 12 of its 13 rated tasks; the first 6 are shown. In O*NET’s words.
- Apply, remove, and repair insulation on industrial equipment, pipes, ductwork, or other mechanical systems such as heat exchangers, tanks, and vessels, to help control noise and maintain temperatures.
- Cover, seal, or finish insulated surfaces or access holes with plastic covers, canvas strips, sealants, tape, cement, or asphalt mastic.
- Fit insulation around obstructions, and shape insulating materials and protective coverings as required.
- Install sheet metal around insulated pipes with screws to protect the insulation from weather conditions or physical damage.
- Measure and cut insulation for covering surfaces, using tape measures, handsaws, knives, and scissors.
- Prepare surfaces for insulation application by brushing or spreading on adhesives, cement, or asphalt, or by attaching metal pins to surfaces.
What the job is
Apply insulating materials to pipes or ductwork, or other mechanical systems in order to help control and maintain temperature.
Also called: Industrial Insulator, Mechanical Insulator, Pipe Coverer, Blanket Maker, Boiler Coverer, Duct Insulator, Pipe Insulator, Insulation Tech.
Closest jobs we score by hand
In the same field (Construction and Extraction). Different jobs, each scored by a person.
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