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AI exposure Transportation and material moving

Will AI replace captains?

Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels. US occupation 53-5021.

0.0%

of the time captains spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of captains' 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 captainsWhat captains no longer do alone

O*NET lists 30 tasks for captains. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

30 of the 30 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • Advise ships' masters on harbor rules and customs procedures.Core task
  • Arrange for ships to be fueled, restocked with supplies, or repaired.Core task
  • Calculate sightings of land, using electronic sounding devices and following contour lines on charts.Core task
  • Consult maps, charts, weather reports, or navigation equipment to determine and direct ship movements.Core task
  • Direct courses and speeds of ships, based on specialized knowledge of local winds, weather, water depths, tides, currents, and hazards.Core task
  • Direct or coordinate crew members or workers performing activities such as loading or unloading cargo, steering vessels, operating engines, or operating, maintaining, or repairing ship equipment.Core task
Show the other 24
  • Dock or undock vessels, sometimes maneuvering through narrow spaces, such as locks.Core task
  • Inspect vessels to ensure efficient and safe operation of vessels and equipment and conformance to regulations.Core task
  • Learn to operate new technology systems and procedures through instruction, simulators, or models.Core task
  • Maintain boats or equipment on board, such as engines, winches, navigational systems, fire extinguishers, or life preservers.Core task
  • Maintain records of daily activities, personnel reports, ship positions and movements, ports of call, weather and sea conditions, pollution control efforts, or cargo or passenger status.Core task
  • Measure depths of water, using depth-measuring equipment.Core task
  • Observe loading or unloading of cargo or equipment to ensure that handling and storage are performed according to specifications.Core task
  • Operate ship-to-shore radios to exchange information needed for ship operations.Core task
  • Prevent ships under navigational control from engaging in unsafe operations.Core task
  • Provide assistance in maritime rescue operations.Core task
  • Purchase supplies or equipment.Core task
  • Read gauges to verify sufficient levels of hydraulic fluid, air pressure, or oxygen.Core task
  • Report to appropriate authorities any violations of federal or state pilotage laws.Core task
  • Serve as a vessel's docking master upon arrival at a port or at a berth.Core task
  • Signal crew members or deckhands to rig tow lines, open or close gates or ramps, or pull guard chains across entries.Core task
  • Signal passing vessels, using whistles, flashing lights, flags, or radios.Core task
  • Stand watches on vessels during specified periods while vessels are under way.Core task
  • Steer and operate vessels, using radios, depth finders, radars, lights, buoys, or lighthouses.Core task
  • Supervise crews in cleaning or maintaining decks, superstructures, or bridges.Core task
  • Assign watches or living quarters to crew members.
  • Conduct safety drills such as man overboard or fire drills.
  • Interview and hire crew members.
  • Perform various marine duties, such as checking for oil spills or other pollutants around ports or harbors or patrolling beaches.
  • Tow and maneuver barges or signal tugboats to tow barges to destinations.

How that compares

Among the 44 transportation and material moving occupations, captains rank 13. The group averages 0.6%, and its most exposed job is Passenger Attendants at 11.7%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.

All 756 occupations, ranked

Level with 0.0%

  1. 346Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity 0.0%
  2. 346Butchers and Meat Cutters 0.0%
  3. 346Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters 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.