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AI exposure Food preparation and serving

Will AI replace cooks?

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria. US occupation 35-2012.

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.

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 17 tasks for cooks. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

17 of the 17 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • Apportion and serve food to facility residents, employees, or patrons.Core task
  • Bake breads, rolls, or other pastries.Core task
  • Clean and inspect galley equipment, kitchen appliances, and work areas to ensure cleanliness and functional operation.Core task
  • Clean, cut, and cook meat, fish, or poultry.Core task
  • Cook foodstuffs according to menus, special dietary or nutritional restrictions, or numbers of portions to be served.Core task
  • Direct activities of one or more workers who assist in preparing and serving meals.Core task
Show the other 11
  • Monitor and record food temperatures to ensure food safety.Core task
  • Requisition food supplies, kitchen equipment, and appliances, based on estimates of future needs.Core task
  • Rotate and store food supplies.Core task
  • Take inventory of supplies and equipment.Core task
  • Train new employees.Core task
  • Wash pots, pans, dishes, utensils, or other cooking equipment.Core task
  • Compile and maintain records of food use and expenditures.
  • Determine meal prices, based on calculations of ingredient prices.
  • Monitor menus and spending to ensure that meals are prepared economically.
  • Monitor use of government food commodities to ensure that proper procedures are followed.
  • Plan menus that are varied, nutritionally balanced, and appetizing, taking advantage of foods in season and local availability.

How that compares

Among the 15 food preparation and serving occupations, cooks rank 7. 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%.

All 756 occupations, ranked

Level with 0.0%

  1. 346Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door 0.0%
  2. 346Conveyor Operators and Tenders 0.0%
  3. 346Cooks, Fast Food 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.