AI exposure Production
Will AI replace coating?
Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders. US occupation 51-9124.
The reading
0.0%
of the time coating spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of coating'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.
Per cent of working time Square-law scale
Average US job 7.7%
Among the least exposed jobs there are.Still waiting for liberation.
What AI already does for coatingWhat coating no longer do alone
O*NET lists 29 tasks for coating. AI use at work shows up in 1 of them, though too little of the job's time goes on them to register in the exposure figure. 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.
- Record operational data on specified forms. mostly automated 1.00
What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human
28 of the 29 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.
- Apply rust-resistant undercoats and caulk and seal seams.Core task
- Attach hoses or nozzles to machines, using wrenches and pliers, and make adjustments to obtain the proper dispersion of spray.Core task
- Buff and wax the finished paintwork.Core task
- Clean equipment and work areas.Core task
- Determine paint flow, viscosity, and coating quality by performing visual inspections, or by using viscometers.Core task
- Disassemble, clean, and reassemble sprayers or power equipment, using solvents, wire brushes, and cloths.Core task
Show the other 22
- Dispose of hazardous waste in an appropriate manner.Core task
- Examine, measure, weigh, or test sample products to ensure conformance to specifications.Core task
- Fill hoppers, reservoirs, troughs, or pans with material used to coat, paint, or spray, using conveyors or pails.Core task
- Hold or position spray guns to direct spray onto articles.Core task
- Monitor painting operations to identify flaws, such as blisters or streaks, and correct their causes.Core task
- Observe machine gauges and equipment operation to detect defects or deviations from standards, and make adjustments as necessary.Core task
- Spray prepared surfaces with specified amounts of primers and decorative or finish coatings.Core task
- Start and stop operation of machines, using levers or buttons.Core task
- Turn dials, handwheels, valves, or switches to regulate conveyor speeds, machine temperature, air pressure and circulation, and the flow or spray of coatings or paints.Core task
- Use brush to hand-paint areas in need of retouching or unreachable with a spray gun.Core task
- Adjust controls on infrared ovens, heat lamps, portable ventilators, or exhaust units to speed the drying of surfaces between coats.
- Apply primer over any repairs made to surfaces.
- Fill small dents or scratches with body fillers and smooth surfaces to prepare for painting.
- Mix paints to match color specifications or original colors, stirring or thinning paints, using spatulas or power mixing equipment.
- Operate auxiliary machines or equipment used in coating or painting processes.
- Operate lifting or moving devices to move equipment or materials to access areas to be painted.
- Remove grease, dirt, paint, or rust from surfaces in preparation for paint application, using abrasives, solvents, brushes, blowtorches, washing tanks, or sandblasters.
- Remove materials, parts, or workpieces from painting or coating machines, using hand tools.
- Sand and apply sealer to properly dried finish.
- Set up portable equipment, such as ventilators, exhaust units, ladders, or scaffolding.
- Thread or feed items or products through or around machine rollers and dryers.
- Weigh or measure chemicals, coatings, or paints before adding them to machines.
How that compares
Among the 98 production occupations, coating rank 26. 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%.
Level with 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.