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AI exposure Production

Will AI replace cleaning?

Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders. US occupation 51-9192.

0.0%

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

O*NET lists 11 tasks for cleaning. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

11 of the 11 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • Add specified amounts of chemicals to equipment at required times to maintain solution levels and concentrations.Core task
  • Drain, clean, and refill machines or tanks at designated intervals, using cleaning solutions or water.Core task
  • Examine and inspect machines to detect malfunctions.Core task
  • Measure, weigh, or mix cleaning solutions, using measuring tanks, calibrated rods or suction tubes.Core task
  • Observe machine operations, gauges, or thermometers, and adjust controls to maintain specified conditions.Core task
  • Operate or tend machines to wash and remove impurities from items such as barrels or kegs, glass products, tin plate surfaces, dried fruit, pulp, animal stock, coal, manufactured articles, plastic, or rubber.Core task
Show the other 5
  • Record gauge readings, materials used, processing times, or test results in production logs.Core task
  • Set controls to regulate temperature and length of cycles, and start conveyors, pumps, agitators, and machines.Core task
  • Adjust, clean, and lubricate mechanical parts of machines, using hand tools and grease guns.
  • Draw samples for laboratory analysis, or test solutions for conformance to specifications, such as acidity or specific gravity.
  • Load machines with objects to be processed and unload them after cleaning, placing them on conveyors or racks.

How that compares

Among the 98 production occupations, cleaning rank 25. The group averages 0.8%, and its most exposed job is Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers at 12.1%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.

All 756 occupations, ranked

Level with 0.0%

  1. 346Chemical Plant and System Operators 0.0%
  2. 346Chiropractors 0.0%
  3. 346Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment 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.