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AI exposure Construction and extraction

Will AI replace brickmasons and blockmasons?

Brickmasons and Blockmasons. US occupation 47-2021.

0.0%

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

Ranked 346 of 756 US occupations. No AI use seen in the work yet, along with 410 other occupations.No handover started yet, along with 410 other occupations.

Average US job 7.7%

Among the least exposed jobs there are.Still waiting for liberation.

What AI already does for brickmasons and blockmasonsWhat brickmasons and blockmasons no longer do alone

O*NET lists 14 tasks for brickmasons and blockmasons. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

14 of the 14 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • Apply and smooth mortar or other mixture over work surface.Core task
  • Break or cut bricks, tiles, or blocks to size, using trowel edge, hammer, or power saw.Core task
  • Calculate angles and courses and determine vertical and horizontal alignment of courses.Core task
  • Clean working surface to remove scale, dust, soot, or chips of brick and mortar, using broom, wire brush, or scraper.Core task
  • Construct corners by fastening in plumb position a corner pole or building a corner pyramid of bricks, and filling in between the corners using a line from corner to corner to guide each course, or layer, of brick.Core task
  • Examine brickwork or structure to determine need for repair.Core task
Show the other 8
  • Fasten or fuse brick or other building material to structure with wire clamps, anchor holes, torch, or cement.Core task
  • Interpret blueprints and drawings to determine specifications and to calculate the materials required.Core task
  • Measure distance from reference points and mark guidelines to lay out work, using plumb bobs and levels.Core task
  • Mix specified amounts of sand, clay, dirt, or mortar powder with water to form refractory mixtures.Core task
  • Remove burned or damaged brick or mortar, using sledgehammer, crowbar, chipping gun, or chisel.Core task
  • Remove excess mortar with trowels and hand tools, and finish mortar joints with jointing tools, for a sealed, uniform appearance.Core task
  • Lay and align bricks, blocks, or tiles to build or repair structures or high temperature equipment, such as cupola, kilns, ovens, or furnaces.
  • Spray or spread refractory material over brickwork to protect against deterioration.

How that compares

Among the 56 construction and extraction occupations, brickmasons and blockmasons rank 9. The group averages 0.4%, and its most exposed job is Structural Iron and Steel Workers at 4.9%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.

All 756 occupations, ranked

Level with 0.0%

  1. 346Bartenders 0.0%
  2. 346Bicycle Repairers 0.0%
  3. 346Boilermakers 0.0%

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.