AI exposure Architecture and engineering
Will AI replace mining and geological engineers?
Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers. US occupation 17-2151.
The reading
0.0%
of the time mining and geological engineers spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of mining and geological engineers' 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.
Per cent of working time Square-law scale
Average US job 7.7%
Among the least exposed jobs there are.Still waiting for liberation.
What AI already does for mining and geological engineersWhat mining and geological engineers no longer do alone
O*NET lists 18 tasks for mining and geological engineers. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.
What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human
18 of the 18 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.
- Design, implement, and monitor the development of mines, facilities, systems, or equipment.Core task
- Examine maps, deposits, drilling locations, or mines to determine the location, size, accessibility, contents, value, and potential profitability of mineral, oil, and gas deposits.Core task
- Inspect mining areas for unsafe structures, equipment, and working conditions.Core task
- Monitor mine production rates to assess operational effectiveness.Core task
- Prepare schedules, reports, and estimates of the costs involved in developing and operating mines.Core task
- Prepare technical reports for use by mining, engineering, and management personnel.Core task
Show the other 12
- Select locations and plan underground or surface mining operations, specifying processes, labor usage, and equipment that will result in safe, economical, and environmentally sound extraction of minerals and ores.Core task
- Select or develop mineral location, extraction, and production methods, based on factors such as safety, cost, and deposit characteristics.Core task
- Supervise, train, and evaluate technicians, technologists, survey personnel, engineers, scientists or other mine personnel.Core task
- Conduct or direct mining experiments to test or prove research findings.
- Design mining and mineral treatment equipment and machinery in collaboration with other engineering specialists.
- Design, develop, and implement computer applications for use in mining operations such as mine design, modeling, or mapping or for monitoring mine conditions.
- Devise solutions to problems of land reclamation and water and air pollution, such as methods of storing excavated soil and returning exhausted mine sites to natural states.
- Evaluate data to develop new mining products, equipment, or processes.
- Implement and coordinate mine safety programs, including the design and maintenance of protective and rescue equipment and safety devices.
- Lay out, direct, and supervise mine construction operations, such as the construction of shafts and tunnels.
- Select or devise materials-handling methods and equipment to transport ore, waste materials, and mineral products efficiently and economically.
- Test air to detect toxic gases and recommend measures to remove them, such as installation of ventilation shafts.
How that compares
Among the 34 architecture and engineering occupations, mining and geological engineers rank 31. The group averages 3.8%, and its most exposed job is Computer Hardware Engineers at 14.5%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.
Level with 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.