AI exposure Installation, maintenance and repair
Will AI replace heating?
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers. US occupation 49-9021.
The reading
1.9%
of the time heating spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of heating's working hours go on tasks AI has already started taking off their plate.
Ranked 325 of 756 US occupations. More exposed than 57% of them.Further along than 57% 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 heatingWhat heating no longer do alone
O*NET lists 30 tasks for heating. 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.
- Study blueprints, design specifications, or manufacturers' recommendations to ascertain the configuration of heating or cooling equipment components and to ensure the proper installation of components.Core task mostly automated 0.87
What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human
29 of the 30 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.
- Adjust system controls to settings recommended by manufacturer to balance system.Core task
- Braze or solder parts to repair defective joints and leaks.Core task
- Comply with all applicable standards, policies, or procedures, such as safety procedures or the maintenance of a clean work area.Core task
- Connect heating or air conditioning equipment to fuel, water, or refrigerant source to form complete circuit.Core task
- Cut or drill holes in floors, walls, or roof to install equipment, using power saws or drills.Core task
- Discuss heating or cooling system malfunctions with users to isolate problems or to verify that repairs corrected malfunctions.Core task
Show the other 23
- Estimate, order, pick up, deliver, and install materials and supplies needed to maintain equipment in good working condition.Core task
- Inspect and test systems to verify system compliance with plans and specifications or to detect and locate malfunctions.Core task
- Install auxiliary components to heating or cooling equipment, such as expansion or discharge valves, air ducts, pipes, blowers, dampers, flues, or stokers.Core task
- Install dehumidifiers or related equipment for spaces that require cool, dry air to operate efficiently, such as computer rooms.Core task
- Install expansion and control valves, using acetylene torches and wrenches.Core task
- Install or repair air purification systems, such as specialized filters or ultraviolet (UV) light purification systems.Core task
- Install or repair self-contained ground source heat pumps or hybrid ground or air source heat pumps to minimize carbon-based energy consumption and reduce carbon emissions.Core task
- Install, connect, or adjust thermostats, humidistats, or timers.Core task
- Keep records of repairs and replacements made and causes of malfunctions.Core task
- Lay out and connect electrical wiring between controls and equipment, according to wiring diagrams, using electrician's hand tools.Core task
- Lay out reference points for installation of structural and functional components, using measuring instruments.Core task
- Lift and align components into position, using hoist or block and tackle.Core task
- Measure, cut, thread, or bend pipe or tubing, using pipe fitter's tools.Core task
- Mount compressor, condenser, and other components in specified locations on frames, using hand tools and acetylene welding equipment.Core task
- Perform mechanical overhauls and refrigerant reclaiming.Core task
- Recommend, develop, or perform preventive or general maintenance procedures, such as cleaning, power-washing, or vacuuming equipment, oiling parts, or changing filters.Core task
- Record and report time, materials, faults, deficiencies, or other unusual occurrences on work orders.Core task
- Repair or replace defective equipment, components, or wiring.Core task
- Repair or service heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to improve efficiency, such as by changing filters, cleaning ducts, and refilling non-toxic refrigerants.Core task
- Schedule work with customers and initiate work orders, house requisitions, and orders from stock.Core task
- Supervise and instruct assistants.Core task
- Test electrical circuits or components for continuity, using electrical test equipment.Core task
- Test pipes, lines, components, and connections for leaks.Core task
How that compares
Among the 50 installation, maintenance and repair occupations, heating rank 7. The group averages 0.7%, and its most exposed job is Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers at 10.7%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.
Just above in the ranking
- 322Broadcast Technicians 2.0%
- 322Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians 2.0%
- 322Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse 2.0%
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.