AI exposure Food preparation and serving
Will AI replace cooks?
Cooks, Fast Food. US occupation 35-2011.
The reading
0.0%
of the time cooks spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of cooks' 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 cooksWhat cooks no longer do alone
O*NET lists 20 tasks for cooks. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.
What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human
20 of the 20 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.
- Clean food preparation areas, cooking surfaces, and utensils.Core task
- Clean, stock, and restock workstations and display cases.Core task
- Cook and package batches of food, such as hamburgers or fried chicken, prepared to order or kept warm until sold.Core task
- Cook the exact number of items ordered by each customer, working on several different orders simultaneously.Core task
- Maintain sanitation, health, and safety standards in work areas.Core task
- Measure ingredients required for specific food items.Core task
Show the other 14
- Operate large-volume cooking equipment, such as grills, deep-fat fryers, or griddles.Core task
- Pre-cook items, such as bacon, to prepare them for later use.Core task
- Prepare specialty foods, such as pizzas, fish and chips, sandwiches, or tacos, following specific methods that usually require short preparation time.Core task
- Read food order slips or receive verbal instructions as to food required by patron, and prepare and cook food according to instructions.Core task
- Serve orders to customers at windows, counters, or tables.Core task
- Take food and drink orders and receive payment from customers.Core task
- Take out garbage.Core task
- Verify that prepared food meets requirements for quality and quantity.Core task
- Wash, cut, and prepare foods designated for cooking.Core task
- Mix ingredients, such as pancake or waffle batters.
- Order and take delivery of supplies.
- Prepare and serve beverages, such as coffee or fountain drinks.
- Prepare dough, following recipe.
- Schedule activities and equipment use with managers, using information about daily menus to help coordinate cooking times.
How that compares
Among the 15 food preparation and serving occupations, cooks rank 6. The group averages 0.9%, and its most exposed job is Hosts and Hostesses, Restaurant, Lounge, and Coffee Shop at 7.3%. 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.