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AI exposure Construction and extraction

Will AI replace loading and moving machine operators?

Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining. US occupation 47-5044.

0.0%

of the time loading and moving machine operators spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of loading and moving machine operators' 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 loading and moving machine operatorsWhat loading and moving machine operators no longer do alone

O*NET lists 25 tasks for loading and moving machine operators. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

25 of the 25 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • Clean hoppers, and clean spillage from tracks, walks, driveways, and conveyor decking.Core task
  • Clean, fuel, service, and perform safety checks on all equipment, and repair and replace parts as necessary.Core task
  • Control conveyors that run the entire length of shuttle cars to distribute loads as loading progresses.Core task
  • Drive loaded shuttle cars to ramps and move controls to discharge loads into mine cars or onto conveyors.Core task
  • Drive machines into piles of material blasted from working faces.Core task
  • Examine roadway and clear obstructions from the path of travel.Core task
Show the other 19
  • Handle high voltage sources and hang electrical cables.Core task
  • Measure, weigh, or verify levels of rock, gravel, or other excavated material to prevent equipment overloads.Core task
  • Monitor loading processes to ensure that materials are loaded according to specifications.Core task
  • Move trailing electrical cables clear of obstructions, using rubber safety gloves.Core task
  • Observe hand signals, grade stakes, or other markings when operating machines.Core task
  • Oil, lubricate, and adjust conveyors, crushers, and other equipment, using hand tools and lubricating equipment.Core task
  • Operate levers to move conveyor booms or shovels so that mine contents such as coal, rock, and ore can be placed into cars or onto conveyors.Core task
  • Pry off loose material from roofs and move it into the paths of machines, using crowbars.Core task
  • Replace hydraulic hoses, headlight bulbs, and gathering-arm teeth.Core task
  • Advance machines to gather material and convey it into cars.
  • Direct other workers to move stakes, place blocks, position anchors or cables, or move materials.
  • Guide and stop cars by switching, applying brakes, or placing scotches, or wooden wedges, between wheels and rails.
  • Maintain records of materials moved.
  • Move mine cars into position for loading and unloading, using pinchbars inserted under car wheels to position cars under loading spouts.
  • Observe and record car numbers, carriers, customers, tonnages, and grades and conditions of material.
  • Push or ride cars down slopes, or hook cars to cables and control cable drum brakes, to ease cars down inclines.
  • Read written instructions or confer with supervisors about schedules and materials to be moved.
  • Signal workers to move loaded cars.
  • Stop gathering arms when cars are full.

How that compares

Among the 56 construction and extraction occupations, loading and moving machine operators rank 35. The group averages 0.4%, and its most exposed job is Structural Iron and Steel Workers at 4.9%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.

All 756 occupations, ranked

Level with 0.0%

  1. 346Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses 0.0%
  2. 346Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers 0.0%
  3. 346Light Truck Drivers 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.