Will AI replace Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers?
Estimated risk score: 10 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 29).
For the occupation as a whole, from ratings of its 30 O*NET tasks published in 2023 and calibrated to our hand scores. A specialty inside it can sit higher or lower.
O*NET-SOC 51-4121.00 · Production
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: 2 of its 30 rated tasks. In O*NET’s words.
- Develop templates and models for welding projects, using mathematical calculations based on blueprint information.
- Determine required equipment and welding methods, applying knowledge of metallurgy, geometry, and welding techniques.
Tasks rated in 2023 as not sped up by AI
Tasks such a model was rated as not speeding up or taking over: 27 of its 30 rated tasks; the first 6 are shown. In O*NET’s words.
- Align and clamp workpieces together, using rules, squares, or hand tools, or position items in fixtures, jigs, or vises.
- Chip or grind off excess weld, slag, or spatter, using hand scrapers or power chippers, portable grinders, or arc-cutting equipment.
- Clean or degrease parts, using wire brushes, portable grinders, or chemical baths.
- Connect and turn regulator valves to activate and adjust gas flow and pressure so that desired flames are obtained.
- Grind, cut, buff, or bend edges of workpieces to be joined to ensure snug fit, using power grinders and hand tools.
- Hammer out bulges or bends in metal workpieces.
What the job is
Use hand-welding, flame-cutting, hand-soldering, or brazing equipment to weld or join metal components or to fill holes, indentations, or seams of fabricated metal products.
Also called: Brazer, Welder, Arc Cutter, Arc Wedler, Arc Welder, Bar Welder, Bit Welder, Die Welder.
Related jobs, estimated
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