AI exposure Life, physical and social science
Will AI replace geoscientists?
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers. US occupation 19-2042.
The reading
4.3%
of the time geoscientists spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of geoscientists' working hours go on tasks AI has already started taking off their plate.
Ranked 267 of 756 US occupations. More exposed than 64% of them.Further along than 64% of them.
Per cent of working time Square-law scale
Average US job 7.7%
Around the middle of the pack.Keeping pace with the average job.
What AI already does for geoscientistsWhat geoscientists no longer do alone
O*NET lists 32 tasks for geoscientists. AI use at work shows up in 1 of them. Each score runs from 0.5, where every observed use helps a person with the task, to 1, where every use does the task outright.
- Locate and review research articles or environmental, historical, or technical reports.Core task mostly automated 0.90
What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human
31 of the 32 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.
- Advise construction firms or government agencies on dam or road construction, foundation design, land use, or resource management.Core task
- Analyze and interpret geological data, using computer software.Core task
- Analyze and interpret geological, geochemical, or geophysical information from sources, such as survey data, well logs, bore holes, or aerial photos.Core task
- Assess ground or surface water movement to provide advice on issues, such as waste management, route and site selection, or the restoration of contaminated sites.Core task
- Communicate geological findings by writing research papers, participating in conferences, or teaching geological science at universities.Core task
- Conduct geological or geophysical studies to provide information for use in regional development, site selection, or development of public works projects.Core task
Show the other 25
- Design geological mine maps, monitor mine structural integrity, or advise and monitor mining crews.Core task
- Develop applied software for the analysis and interpretation of geological data.Core task
- Develop strategies for more environmentally friendly resource extraction and reclamation.Core task
- Identify deposits of construction materials suitable for use as concrete aggregates, road fill, or other applications.Core task
- Identify new sources of platinum group elements for industrial applications, such as automotive fuel cells or pollution abatement systems.Core task
- Identify possible sites for carbon sequestration projects.Core task
- Identify risks for natural disasters, such as mudslides, earthquakes, or volcanic eruptions.Core task
- Investigate the composition, structure, or history of the Earth's crust through the collection, examination, measurement, or classification of soils, minerals, rocks, or fossil remains.Core task
- Locate and estimate probable natural gas, oil, or mineral ore deposits or underground water resources, using aerial photographs, charts, or research or survey results.Core task
- Locate potential sources of geothermal energy.Core task
- Measure characteristics of the Earth, such as gravity or magnetic fields, using equipment such as seismographs, gravimeters, torsion balances, or magnetometers.Core task
- Plan or conduct geological, geochemical, or geophysical field studies or surveys, sample collection, or drilling and testing programs used to collect data for research or application.Core task
- Prepare geological maps, cross-sectional diagrams, charts, or reports concerning mineral extraction, land use, or resource management, using results of fieldwork or laboratory research.Core task
- Review environmental, historical, or technical reports and publications for accuracy.Core task
- Review work plans to determine the effectiveness of activities for mitigating soil or groundwater contamination.Core task
- Study historical climate change indicators found in locations, such as ice sheets or rock formations to develop climate change models.Core task
- Collaborate with medical or health researchers to address health problems related to geological materials or processes.
- Determine methods to incorporate geomethane or methane hydrates into global energy production or evaluate the potential environmental impacts of such incorporation.
- Determine ways to mitigate the negative consequences of mineral dust dispersion.
- Develop ways to capture or use gases burned off as waste during oil production processes.
- Inspect construction projects to analyze engineering problems, using test equipment or drilling machinery.
- Provide advice on the safe siting of new nuclear reactor projects or methods of nuclear waste management.
- Research geomechanical or geochemical processes to be used in carbon sequestration projects.
- Research ways to reduce the ecological footprint of increasingly prevalent megacities.
- Test industrial diamonds or abrasives, soil, or rocks to determine their geological characteristics, using optical, x-ray, heat, acid, or precision instruments.
How that compares
Among the 46 life, physical and social science occupations, geoscientists rank 29. The group averages 12.2%, and its most exposed job is Political Scientists at 45.2%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.
Just above in the ranking
- 263Insulation Workers, Mechanical 4.4%
- 267Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 4.3%
- 267Financial Examiners 4.3%
Just below
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.