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AI exposure Construction and extraction

Will AI replace earth drillers?

Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas. US occupation 47-5023.

0.0%

of the time earth drillers spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of earth drillers' 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 earth drillersWhat earth drillers no longer do alone

O*NET lists 29 tasks for earth drillers. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

29 of the 29 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • Assemble and position machines, augers, casing pipes, and other equipment, using hand and power tools.Core task
  • Document geological formations encountered during work.Core task
  • Drive or guide truck-mounted equipment into position, level and stabilize rigs, and extend telescoping derricks.Core task
  • Drive trucks, tractors, or truck-mounted drills to and from work sites.Core task
  • Operate controls to stabilize machines and to position and align drills.Core task
  • Operate machines to flush earth cuttings or to blow dust from holes.Core task
Show the other 23
  • Perform routine maintenance and upgrade work on machines and equipment, such as replacing parts, building up drill bits, and lubricating machinery.Core task
  • Record drilling progress and geological data.Core task
  • Regulate air pressure, rotary speed, and downward pressure, according to the type of rock or concrete being drilled.Core task
  • Retrieve lost equipment from bore holes, using retrieval tools and equipment.Core task
  • Select and attach drill bits and drill rods, adding more rods as hole depths increase, and changing drill bits as needed.Core task
  • Select the appropriate drill for the job, using knowledge of rock or soil conditions.Core task
  • Start, stop, and control drilling speed of machines and insertion of casings into holes.Core task
  • Verify depths and alignments of boring positions.Core task
  • Create and lay out designs for drill and blast patterns.
  • Design well pumping systems.
  • Disinfect, reconstruct, and redevelop contaminated wells and water pumping systems, and clean and disinfect new wells in preparation for use.
  • Drill or bore holes in rock for blasting, grouting, anchoring, or building foundations.
  • Fabricate well casings.
  • Inspect core samples to determine nature of strata, or take samples to laboratories for analysis.
  • Monitor drilling operations, by checking gauges and listening to equipment to assess drilling conditions and to determine the need to adjust drilling or alter equipment.
  • Operate water-well drilling rigs and other equipment to drill, bore, and dig for water wells or for environmental assessment purposes.
  • Perform pumping tests to assess well performance.
  • Place and install screens, casings, pumps, and other well fixtures to develop wells.
  • Pour water into wells, or pump water or slush into wells to cool drill bits and to remove drillings.
  • Retract augers to force discharge dirt from holes.
  • Review client requirements and proposed locations for drilling operations to determine feasibility, and to determine cost estimates.
  • Signal crane operators to move equipment.
  • Withdraw drill rods from holes, and extract core samples.

How that compares

Among the 56 construction and extraction occupations, earth drillers rank 16. The group averages 0.4%, and its most exposed job is Structural Iron and Steel Workers at 4.9%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.

All 756 occupations, ranked

Level with 0.0%

  1. 346Dredge Operators 0.0%
  2. 346Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 0.0%
  3. 346Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers 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.