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AI exposure Community and social service

Will AI replace clergy?

Clergy. US occupation 21-2011.

11.2%

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

Ranked 172 of 756 US occupations. More exposed than 77% of them.Further along than 77% of them.

Average US job 7.7%

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

What AI already does for clergyWhat clergy no longer do alone

O*NET lists 21 tasks for clergy. AI use at work shows up in 2 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. Share information about religious issues by writing articles, giving speeches, or teaching.Core task automated and assisted 0.84
  2. Prepare and deliver sermons or other talks.Core task automated and assisted 0.79

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

19 of the 21 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • Administer religious rites or ordinances.Core task
  • Collaborate with committees or individuals to address financial or administrative issues pertaining to congregations.Core task
  • Conduct special ceremonies, such as weddings, funerals, or confirmations.Core task
  • Counsel individuals or groups concerning their spiritual, emotional, or personal needs.Core task
  • Devise ways in which congregational membership can be expanded.Core task
  • Instruct people who seek conversion to a particular faith.Core task
Show the other 13
  • Organize and lead regular religious services.Core task
  • Organize or engage in interfaith, community, civic, educational, or recreational activities sponsored by or related to religious programs.Core task
  • Participate in fundraising activities to support congregational activities or facilities.Core task
  • Perform administrative duties, such as overseeing building management, ordering supplies, contracting for services or repairs, or supervising the work of staff members or volunteers.Core task
  • Plan or lead religious education programs.Core task
  • Pray and promote spirituality.Core task
  • Prepare people for participation in religious ceremonies.Core task
  • Read from sacred texts, such as the Bible, Torah, or Koran.Core task
  • Refer people to community support services, psychologists, or doctors.Core task
  • Respond to requests for assistance during emergencies or crises.Core task
  • Study and interpret religious laws, doctrines, or traditions.Core task
  • Train leaders of church, community, or youth groups.Core task
  • Visit people in homes, hospitals, or prisons to provide them with comfort and support.Core task

How that compares

Among the 12 community and social service occupations, clergy rank 4. The group averages 5.2%, and its most exposed job is Directors, Religious Activities and Education at 15.3%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.

All 756 occupations, ranked

Just above in the ranking

  1. 168Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors 11.8%
  2. 170Passenger Attendants 11.7%
  3. 171Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary 11.4%

Just below

  1. 173Geographers 11.0%
  2. 174First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers 10.8%
  3. 175Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers 10.7%

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.