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AI exposure Construction and extraction

Will AI replace excavating and loading machine and dragline operators?

Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining. US occupation 47-5022.

0.0%

of the time excavating and loading machine and dragline operators spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of excavating and loading machine and dragline operators' 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 excavating and loading machine and dragline operatorsWhat excavating and loading machine and dragline operators no longer do alone

O*NET lists 16 tasks for excavating and loading machine and dragline operators. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

16 of the 16 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • Become familiar with digging plans, machine capabilities and limitations, and efficient and safe digging procedures in a given application.Core task
  • Create or maintain inclines or ramps.Core task
  • Handle slides, mud, or pit cleanings or maintenance.Core task
  • Lubricate, adjust, or repair machinery and replace parts, such as gears, bearings, or bucket teeth.Core task
  • Move levers, depress foot pedals, and turn dials to operate power machinery, such as power shovels, stripping shovels, scraper loaders, or backhoes.Core task
  • Move materials over short distances, such as around a construction site, factory, or warehouse.Core task
Show the other 10
  • Observe hand signals, grade stakes, or other markings when operating machines so that work can be performed to specifications.Core task
  • Operate machinery to perform activities such as backfilling excavations, vibrating or breaking rock or concrete, or making winter roads.Core task
  • Receive written or oral instructions regarding material movement or excavation.Core task
  • Set up or inspect equipment prior to operation.Core task
  • Adjust dig face angles for varying overburden depths and set lengths.
  • Direct ground workers engaged in activities such as moving stakes or markers, or changing positions of towers.
  • Direct workers engaged in placing blocks or outriggers to prevent capsizing of machines when lifting heavy loads.
  • Drive machines to work sites.
  • Measure and verify levels of rock or gravel, bases, or other excavated material.
  • Perform manual labor to prepare or finish sites, such as shoveling materials by hand.

How that compares

Among the 56 construction and extraction occupations, excavating and loading machine and dragline operators rank 19. 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. 346Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other 0.0%
  2. 346Epidemiologists 0.0%
  3. 346Etchers and Engravers 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.