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AI exposure Production

Will AI replace cutting?

Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. US occupation 51-4031.

0.0%

of the time cutting spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of cutting'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.

Average US job 7.7%

Among the least exposed jobs there are.Still waiting for liberation.

What AI already does for cuttingWhat cutting no longer do alone

O*NET lists 30 tasks for cutting. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

30 of the 30 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • Clean work area.Core task
  • Examine completed workpieces for defects, such as chipped edges or marred surfaces and sort defective pieces according to types of flaws.Core task
  • Load workpieces, plastic material, or chemical solutions into machines.Core task
  • Measure completed workpieces to verify conformance to specifications, using micrometers, gauges, calipers, templates, or rulers.Core task
  • Read work orders or production schedules to determine specifications, such as materials to be used, locations of cutting lines, or dimensions and tolerances.Core task
  • Set up, operate, or tend machines to saw, cut, shear, slit, punch, crimp, notch, bend, or straighten metal or plastic material.Core task
Show the other 24
  • Start machines, monitor their operations, and record operational data.Core task
  • Test and adjust machine speeds or actions, according to product specifications, using gauges and hand tools.Core task
  • Turn controls to set cutting speeds, feed rates, or table angles for specified operations.Core task
  • Adjust ram strokes of presses to specified lengths, using hand tools.
  • Clean and lubricate machines.
  • Grind out burrs or sharp edges, using portable grinders, speed lathes, or polishing jacks.
  • Hone cutters with oilstones to remove nicks.
  • Install, align, and lock specified punches, dies, cutting blades, or other fixtures in rams or beds of machines, using gauges, templates, feelers, shims, and hand tools.
  • Lubricate workpieces with oil.
  • Mark identifying data on workpieces.
  • Operate forklifts to deliver materials.
  • Place workpieces on cutting tables, manually or using hoists, cranes, or sledges.
  • Plan sequences of operations, applying knowledge of physical properties of workpiece materials.
  • Position guides, stops, holding blocks, or other fixtures to secure and direct workpieces, using hand tools and measuring devices.
  • Position, align, and secure workpieces against fixtures or stops on machine beds or on dies.
  • Preheat workpieces, using heating furnaces or hand torches.
  • Remove housings, feed tubes, tool holders, or other accessories to replace worn or broken parts, such as springs or bushings.
  • Replace defective blades or wheels, using hand tools.
  • Scribe reference lines on workpieces as guides for cutting operations, according to blueprints, templates, sample parts, or specifications.
  • Select, clean, and install spacers, rubber sleeves, or cutters on arbors.
  • Set blade tensions, heights, and angles to perform prescribed cuts, using wrenches.
  • Set stops on machine beds, change dies, and adjust components, such as rams or power presses, when making multiple or successive passes.
  • Sharpen dulled blades, using bench grinders, abrasive wheels, or lathes.
  • Turn valves to start flow of coolant against cutting areas or to start airflow that blows cuttings away from kerfs.

How that compares

Among the 98 production occupations, cutting rank 30. 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%.

All 756 occupations, ranked

Level with 0.0%

  1. 346Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary 0.0%
  2. 346Crossing Guards and Flaggers 0.0%
  3. 346Cutters and Trimmers, Hand 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.