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AI exposure Food preparation and serving

Will AI replace food preparation workers?

Food Preparation Workers. US occupation 35-2021.

0.0%

of the time food preparation workers spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of food preparation workers' 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 food preparation workersWhat food preparation workers no longer do alone

O*NET lists 31 tasks for food preparation workers. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

31 of the 31 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • Add cutlery, napkins, food, and other items to trays on assembly lines in hospitals, cafeterias, airline kitchens, and similar establishments.Core task
  • Assemble meal trays with foods in accordance with patients' diets.Core task
  • Assist cooks and kitchen staff with various tasks as needed, and provide cooks with needed items.Core task
  • Carry food supplies, equipment, and utensils to and from storage and work areas.Core task
  • Clean and sanitize work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, or silverware.Core task
  • Inform supervisors when equipment is not working properly and when food and supplies are getting low, and order needed items.Core task
Show the other 25
  • Load dishes, glasses, and tableware into dishwashing machines.Core task
  • Make special dressings and sauces as condiments for sandwiches.Core task
  • Mix ingredients for green salads, molded fruit salads, vegetable salads, and pasta salads.Core task
  • Place food trays over food warmers for immediate service, or store them in refrigerated storage cabinets.Core task
  • Portion and wrap food, or place it directly on plates for service to patrons.Core task
  • Prepare a variety of foods, such as meats, vegetables, or desserts, according to customers' orders or supervisors' instructions, following approved procedures.Core task
  • Prepare and serve a variety of beverages, such as coffee, tea, and soft drinks.Core task
  • Receive and store food supplies, equipment, and utensils in refrigerators, cupboards, and other storage areas.Core task
  • Remove trash and clean kitchen garbage containers.Core task
  • Scrape leftovers from dishes into garbage containers.Core task
  • Stir and strain soups and sauces.Core task
  • Stock cupboards and refrigerators, and tend salad bars and buffet meals.Core task
  • Store food in designated containers and storage areas to prevent spoilage.Core task
  • Take and record temperature of food and food storage areas, such as refrigerators and freezers.Core task
  • Use manual or electric appliances to clean, peel, slice, and trim foods.Core task
  • Vacuum dining area and sweep and mop kitchen floor.Core task
  • Wash, peel, and cut various foods, such as fruits and vegetables, to prepare for cooking or serving.Core task
  • Weigh or measure ingredients.Core task
  • Butcher and clean fowl, fish, poultry, and shellfish to prepare for cooking or serving.
  • Cut, slice or grind meat, poultry, and seafood to prepare for cooking.
  • Distribute food to waiters and waitresses to serve to customers.
  • Distribute menus to hospital patients, collect diet sheets, and deliver food trays and snacks to nursing units or directly to patients.
  • Keep records of the quantities of food used.
  • Operate cash register, handle money, and give correct change.
  • Package take-out foods or serve food to customers.

How that compares

Among the 15 food preparation and serving occupations, food preparation workers rank 13. 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. 346Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders 0.0%
  2. 346Food Batchmakers 0.0%
  3. 346Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders 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.