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AI exposure Production

Will AI replace grinding and polishing workers?

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand. US occupation 51-9022.

0.0%

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

O*NET lists 17 tasks for grinding and polishing workers. 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.

  • File grooved, contoured, and irregular surfaces of metal objects, such as metalworking dies and machine parts, to conform to templates, other parts, layouts, or blueprint specifications.Core task
  • Grind, sand, clean, or polish objects or parts to correct defects or to prepare surfaces for further finishing, using hand tools and power tools.Core task
  • Load and adjust workpieces onto equipment or work tables, using hand tools.Core task
  • Mark defects, such as knotholes, cracks, and splits, for repair.Core task
  • Measure and mark equipment, objects, or parts to ensure grinding and polishing standards are met.Core task
  • Move controls to adjust, start, or stop equipment during grinding and polishing processes.Core task
Show the other 11
  • Repair and maintain equipment, objects, or parts, using hand tools.Core task
  • Select files or other abrasives, according to materials, sizes and shapes of workpieces, amount of stock to be removed, finishes specified, and steps in finishing processes.Core task
  • Sharpen abrasive grinding tools, using machines and hand tools.Core task
  • Study blueprints or layouts to determine how to lay out workpieces or saw out templates.Core task
  • Transfer equipment, objects, or parts to specified work areas, using moving devices.Core task
  • Trim, scrape, or deburr objects or parts, using chisels, scrapers, and other hand tools and equipment.Core task
  • Verify quality of finished workpieces by inspecting them, comparing them to templates, measuring their dimensions, or testing them in working machinery.Core task
  • Apply solutions and chemicals to equipment, objects, or parts, using hand tools.
  • Clean brass particles from files by drawing file cards through file grooves.
  • Record product and processing data on specified forms.
  • Remove completed workpieces from equipment or work tables, using hand tools, and place workpieces in containers.

How that compares

Among the 98 production occupations, grinding and polishing workers rank 48. The group averages 0.8%, and its most exposed job is Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers at 12.1%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.

All 756 occupations, ranked

Level with 0.0%

  1. 346Geography Teachers, Postsecondary 0.0%
  2. 346Glaziers 0.0%
  3. 346Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products 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.