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AI exposure Food preparation and serving

Will AI replace cooks?

Cooks, Private Household. US occupation 35-2013.

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

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

13 of the 13 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • Cool, package, label, and freeze foods for later consumption and provide instructions for reheating.Core task
  • Create and explore new cuisines.Core task
  • Direct the operation and organization of kitchens and all food-related activities, including the presentation and serving of food.Core task
  • Keep records pertaining to menus, finances, and other business-related issues.Core task
  • Peel, wash, trim, and cook vegetables and meats, and bake breads and pastries.Core task
  • Plan and prepare food for parties, holiday meals, luncheons, special functions, and other social events.Core task
Show the other 7
  • Plan menus according to employers' needs and diet restrictions.Core task
  • Prepare meals in private homes according to employers' recipes or tastes, handling all meals for the family and possibly for other household staff.Core task
  • Serve meals and snacks to employing families and their guests.Core task
  • Shop for or order food and kitchen supplies and equipment.Core task
  • Specialize in preparing fancy dishes or food for special diets.Core task
  • Stock, organize, and clean kitchens and cooking utensils.Core task
  • Travel with employers to vacation homes to provide meal preparation at those locations.

How that compares

Among the 15 food preparation and serving occupations, cooks rank 8. 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. 346Conveyor Operators and Tenders 0.0%
  2. 346Cooks, Fast Food 0.0%
  3. 346Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria 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.