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AI exposure Production

Will AI replace molders?

Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic. US occupation 51-9195.

0.0%

of the time molders spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of molders' 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 moldersWhat molders no longer do alone

O*NET lists 80 tasks for molders. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

80 of the 80 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • Adjust wheel speeds according to the feel of the clay as pieces enlarge and walls become thinner.Core task
  • Attach handles to pottery pieces.Core task
  • Blow tubing into specified shapes to prevent glass from collapsing, using compressed air or own breath, or blow and rotate gathers in molds or on boards to obtain final shapes.Core task
  • Carve designs or figures in full or bas relief on stone, employing knowledge of stone carving techniques and sense of artistry to produce carvings consistent with designers' plans.Core task
  • Cut lengths of tubing to specified sizes, using files or cutting wheels.Core task
  • Design and create glass objects, using blowpipes and artisans' hand tools and equipment.Core task
Show the other 74
  • Design spaces to display pottery for sale.Core task
  • Determine types and quantities of glass required to fabricate products.Core task
  • Develop sketches of glass products into blueprint specifications, applying knowledge of glass technology and glass blowing.Core task
  • Drill holes and cut or carve moldings and grooves in stone, according to diagrams and patterns.Core task
  • Examine finished ware for defects and measure dimensions, using rule and thickness gauge.Core task
  • Guide nozzles over stone, following stencil outlines, or chip along marks to create designs or to work surfaces down to specified finishes.Core task
  • Heat glass to pliable stage, using gas flames or ovens and rotating glass to heat it uniformly.Core task
  • Inspect, weigh, and measure products to verify conformance to specifications, using instruments such as micrometers, calipers, magnifiers, or rulers.Core task
  • Lay out designs or dimensions from sketches or blueprints on stone surfaces, freehand or by transferring them from tracing paper, using scribes or chalk and measuring instruments.Core task
  • Maintain supplies of tools, equipment, and materials, and order additional supplies as needed.Core task
  • Mix and apply glazes to pottery pieces, using tools, such as spray guns.Core task
  • Move fingers over surfaces of carvings to ensure smoothness of finish.Core task
  • Move pieces from wheels so that they can dry.Core task
  • Operate and maintain finishing machines to grind, drill, sand, bevel, decorate, wash, or polish glass or glass products.Core task
  • Operate electric kilns that heat and mold glass sheets to the shape and curve of metal jigs.Core task
  • Operate gas or electric kilns to fire pottery pieces.Core task
  • Operate pug mills to blend and extrude clay.Core task
  • Pack and ship pottery to stores or galleries for retail sale.Core task
  • Perform test-fires of pottery to determine how to achieve specific colors and textures.Core task
  • Place electrodes in tube ends and heat them with glass burners to fuse them into place.Core task
  • Position balls of clay in centers of potters' wheels, and start motors or pump treadles with feet to revolve wheels.Core task
  • Prepare work for sale or exhibition, and maintain relationships with retail, pottery, art, and resource networks that can facilitate sale or exhibition of work.Core task
  • Press thumbs into centers of revolving clay to form hollows, and press on the inside and outside of emerging clay cylinders with hands and fingers, gradually raising and shaping clay to desired forms and sizes.Core task
  • Pull wires through bases of articles and wheels to separate finished pieces.Core task
  • Raise and shape clay into wares, such as vases and pitchers, on revolving wheels, using hands, fingers, and thumbs.Core task
  • Read work orders or examine parts to determine parts or sections of products to be produced.Core task
  • Record manufacturing information, such as quantities, sizes, or types of goods produced.Core task
  • Remove or add stencils during blasting to create differing cut depths, intricate designs, or rough, pitted finishes.Core task
  • Select chisels, pneumatic or surfacing tools, or sandblasting nozzles, and determine sequence of use.Core task
  • Shape, bend, or join sections of glass, using paddles, pressing and flattening hand tools, or cork.Core task
  • Shape, trim, or touch up roughed-out designs with appropriate tools to finish carvings.Core task
  • Smooth surfaces of finished pieces, using rubber scrapers and wet sponges.Core task
  • Trim or remove excess material, using scrapers, knives, or band saws.Core task
  • Verify accuracy of shapes and sizes of objects, using calipers and templates.Core task
  • Verify depths and dimensions of cuts or carvings to ensure adherence to specifications, blueprints, or models, using measuring instruments.Core task
  • Adjust pressures, temperatures, and trimming tool settings as required.
  • Align and assemble parts to produce completed products, using gauges and hand tools.
  • Assemble, insert, and adjust wires, tubes, cores, fittings, rods, or patterns into molds, using hand tools and depth gauges.
  • Bore holes or cut grates, risers, or pouring spouts in molds, using power tools.
  • Brush or spray mold surfaces with parting agents or insert paper into molds to ensure smoothness and prevent sticking or seepage.
  • Carve rough designs freehand or by chipping along marks on stone, using mallets and chisels or pneumatic tools.
  • Clean, finish, and lubricate molds and mold parts.
  • Construct or form molds for use in casting clay or plaster objects, using plaster, fiberglass, rubber, casting machines, patterns, or flasks.
  • Cut, shape, and finish rough blocks of building or monumental stone, according to diagrams or patterns.
  • Design clay forms and molds, and decorations for forms.
  • Engrave or stamp identifying symbols, letters, or numbers on products.
  • Load or stack filled molds in ovens, dryers, or curing boxes, or on storage racks or carts.
  • Load sandblasting equipment with abrasives, attach nozzles to hoses, and turn valves to admit compressed air and activate jets.
  • Measure and cut products to specified dimensions, using measuring and cutting instruments.
  • Measure ingredients and mix molding, casting material, or sealing compounds to prescribed consistencies, according to formulas.
  • Operate and adjust controls of heating equipment to melt material or to cure, dry, or bake filled molds.
  • Operate drying chambers to dry or finish molded ceramic ware.
  • Patch broken edges or fractures, using clay or plaster.
  • Place glass into dies or molds of presses and control presses to form products, such as glassware components or optical blanks.
  • Place rubber hoses on ends of tubing and charge tubing with gas.
  • Pour, pack, spread, or press plaster, concrete, or other materials into or around models or molds.
  • Remove excess materials and level and smooth wet mold mixtures.
  • Repair broken scrolls by replacing them with new sections of tubing.
  • Repair mold defects, such as cracks or broken edges, using patterns, mold boxes, or hand tools.
  • Select sizes and types of molds according to instructions.
  • Separate models or patterns from molds and examine products for accuracy.
  • Set the proper operating temperature for each casting.
  • Set up and adjust machine press stroke lengths and pressures and regulate oven temperatures, according to glass types to be processed.
  • Smooth surfaces of carvings, using rubbing stones.
  • Smooth surfaces of molds, using scraping tools or sandpaper.
  • Spray or swab molds with oil solutions to prevent adhesion of glass.
  • Start machine units and conveyors and observe lights and gauges on panel board to verify operational efficiency.
  • Strike necks of finished articles to separate articles from blowpipes.
  • Study artistic objects or graphic materials, such as models, sketches, or blueprints, to plan carving or cutting techniques.
  • Superimpose bent tubing on asbestos patterns to ensure accuracy.
  • Tap or tilt molds to ensure uniform distribution of materials.
  • Teach pottery classes.
  • Verify dimensions of products, using measuring instruments, such as calipers, vernier gauges, or protractors.
  • Withdraw cores or other loose mold members after castings solidify.

How that compares

Among the 98 production occupations, molders rank 63. 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. 346Model Makers, Metal and Plastic 0.0%
  2. 346Model Makers, Wood 0.0%
  3. 346Models 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.