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AI exposure Arts, design, entertainment, sports and media

Will AI replace art directors?

Art Directors. US occupation 27-1011.

21.0%

of the time art directors spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of art directors' working hours go on tasks AI has already started taking off their plate.

Ranked 113 of 756 US occupations. More exposed than 84% of them.Further along than 84% of them.

Average US job 7.7%

Well above the typical job.Ahead of most of the workforce.

What AI already does for art directorsWhat art directors no longer do alone

O*NET lists 16 tasks for art directors. AI use at work shows up in 4 of them. Each score runs from 0.5, where every observed use helps a person with the task, to 1, where every use does the task outright.

  1. Create custom illustrations or other graphic elements.Core task mostly automated 0.93
  2. Prepare detailed storyboards showing sequence and timing of story development for television production. mostly automated 0.88
  3. Mark up, paste, and complete layouts and write typography instructions to prepare materials for typesetting or printing. automated and assisted 0.83
  4. Confer with clients to determine objectives, budget, background information, and presentation approaches, styles, and techniques.Core task automated and assisted 0.80

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

12 of the 16 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • Attend photo shoots and printing sessions to ensure that the products needed are obtained.Core task
  • Confer with creative, art, copywriting, or production department heads to discuss client requirements and presentation concepts and to coordinate creative activities.Core task
  • Formulate basic layout design or presentation approach and specify material details, such as style and size of type, photographs, graphics, animation, video, and sound.Core task
  • Hire, train, and direct staff members who develop design concepts into art layouts or who prepare layouts for printing.Core task
  • Manage own accounts and projects, working within budget and scheduling requirements.Core task
  • Present final layouts to clients for approval.Core task
Show the other 6
  • Research current trends and new technology, such as printing production techniques, computer software, and design trends.Core task
  • Review and approve art materials, copy materials, and proofs of printed copy developed by staff members.Core task
  • Review illustrative material to determine if it conforms to standards and specifications.Core task
  • Work with creative directors to develop design solutions.Core task
  • Conceptualize and help design interfaces for multimedia games, products, and devices.
  • Negotiate with printers and estimators to determine what services will be performed.

How that compares

Among the 34 arts, design, entertainment, sports and media occupations, art directors rank 11. The group averages 14.2%, and its most exposed job is Technical Writers at 47.5%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.

All 756 occupations, ranked

Just above in the ranking

  1. 110Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary 21.4%
  2. 111Communications Teachers, Postsecondary 21.1%
  3. 111Statisticians 21.1%

Just below

  1. 115Counter and Rental Clerks 20.5%
  2. 116Food Science Technicians 20.4%
  3. 117Librarians and Media Collections Specialists 20.3%

What this does and does not mean

Exposure is observed use, not a forecast. Anthropic maps work conversations with Claude onto the tasks O*NET lists for each job and asks, of the tasks AI could speed up, which are actually being used for at work. A use that does the task outright counts in full and a use that assists a person counts half. The task scores are averaged into the occupation figure by the share of time spent on each task.

A high figure means AI is already part of how this work gets done. It does not mean anyone has been replaced. Anthropic's own reading of the labour market finds no systematic rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting exposed jobs.No measurable rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting these jobs. Gap years for everyone. Labor market impacts, 5 March 2026.

Task list and titles from O*NET 31.0 by the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. Scores from the Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Checked 1 November 2026. How the ranking works.