AI exposure Farming, fishing and forestry
Will AI replace fallers?
Fallers. US occupation 45-4021.
The reading
0.0%
of the time fallers spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of fallers' 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.
Per cent of working time Square-law scale
Average US job 7.7%
Among the least exposed jobs there are.Still waiting for liberation.
What AI already does for fallersWhat fallers no longer do alone
O*NET lists 17 tasks for fallers. 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.
- Appraise trees for certain characteristics, such as twist, rot, and heavy limb growth, and gauge amount and direction of lean, to determine how to control the direction of a tree's fall with the least damage.Core task
- Assess logs after cutting to ensure that the quality and length are correct.Core task
- Clear brush from work areas and escape routes, and cut saplings and other trees from direction of falls, using axes, chainsaws, or bulldozers.Core task
- Control the direction of a tree's fall by scoring cutting lines with axes, sawing undercuts along scored lines with chainsaws, knocking slabs from cuts with single-bit axes, and driving wedges.Core task
- Determine position, direction, and depth of cuts to be made, and placement of wedges or jacks.Core task
- Insert jacks or drive wedges behind saws to prevent binding of saws and to start trees falling.Core task
Show the other 11
- Maintain and repair chainsaws and other equipment, cleaning, oiling, and greasing equipment, and sharpening equipment properly.Core task
- Measure felled trees and cut them into specified log lengths, using chain saws and axes.Core task
- Saw back-cuts, leaving sufficient sound wood to control direction of fall.Core task
- Select trees to be cut down, assessing factors such as site, terrain, and weather conditions before beginning work.Core task
- Stop saw engines, pull cutting bars from cuts, and run to safety as tree falls.Core task
- Tag unsafe trees with high-visibility ribbons.Core task
- Trim off the tops and limbs of trees, using chainsaws, delimbers, or axes.Core task
- Mark logs for identification.
- Place supporting limbs or poles under felled trees to avoid splitting undersides, and to prevent logs from rolling.
- Secure steel cables or chains to logs for dragging by tractors or for pulling by cable yarding systems.
- Work as a member of a team, rotating between chain saw operation and skidder operation.
How that compares
Among the 11 farming, fishing and forestry occupations, fallers rank 5. The group averages 0.2%, and its most exposed job is Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse at 2.0%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.
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.