AI exposure Life, physical and social science
Will AI replace nuclear technicians?
Nuclear Technicians. US occupation 19-4051.
The reading
0.0%
of the time nuclear technicians spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of nuclear technicians' 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 nuclear techniciansWhat nuclear technicians no longer do alone
O*NET lists 32 tasks for nuclear technicians. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.
What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human
32 of the 32 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.
- Analyze samples, such as air or water samples, for contaminants or other elements.Core task
- Apply safety tags to equipment needing maintenance.Core task
- Brief workers on radiation levels in work areas.Core task
- Calculate safe radiation exposure times for personnel using plant contamination readings and prescribed safe levels of radiation.Core task
- Collect samples of air, water, gases, or solids to determine radioactivity levels of contamination.Core task
- Conduct surveillance testing to determine safety of nuclear equipment.Core task
Show the other 26
- Decontaminate objects by cleaning with soap or solvents or by abrading with wire brushes, buffing wheels, or sandblasting machines.Core task
- Determine intensities and types of radiation in work areas, equipment, or materials, using radiation detectors or other instruments.Core task
- Follow nuclear equipment operational policies and procedures that ensure environmental safety.Core task
- Follow policies and procedures for radiation workers to ensure personnel safety.Core task
- Inform supervisors when individual exposures or area radiation levels approach maximum permissible limits.Core task
- Instruct personnel in radiation safety procedures and demonstrate use of protective clothing and equipment.Core task
- Modify, devise, or maintain nuclear equipment used in operations.Core task
- Monitor nuclear reactor equipment performance to identify operational inefficiencies, hazards, or needs for maintenance or repair.Core task
- Monitor personnel to determine the amounts and intensities of radiation exposure.Core task
- Place radioactive waste, such as sweepings or broken sample bottles, into containers for shipping or disposal.Core task
- Prepare reports describing contamination tests, material or equipment decontaminated, or methods used in decontamination processes.Core task
- Provide initial response to abnormal events or to alarms from radiation monitoring equipment.Core task
- Test plant equipment to ensure it is operating properly.Core task
- Calculate equipment operating factors, such as radiation times, dosages, temperatures, gamma intensities, or pressures, using standard formulas and conversion tables.
- Calibrate and maintain chemical instrumentation sensing elements and sampling system equipment, using calibration instruments and hand tools.
- Collect air, water, gas or solid samples for testing to determine radioactivity levels or to ensure appropriate radioactive containment.
- Communicate with accelerator maintenance personnel to ensure readiness of support systems, such as vacuum, water cooling, or radio frequency power sources.
- Decontaminate objects by cleaning them using soap or solvents or by abrading using brushes, buffing machines, or sandblasting machines.
- Determine or recommend radioactive decontamination procedures, according to the size and nature of equipment and the degree of contamination.
- Enter data into computers to record characteristics of nuclear events or to locate coordinates of particles.
- Identify and implement appropriate decontamination procedures, based on equipment and the size, nature, and type of contamination.
- Measure the intensity and identify the types of radiation in work areas, equipment, or materials, using radiation detectors or other instruments.
- Monitor instruments, gauges, or recording devices under direction of nuclear experimenters.
- Perform testing, maintenance, repair, or upgrading of accelerator systems.
- Set up equipment that automatically detects area radiation deviations and test detection equipment to ensure its accuracy.
- Warn maintenance workers of radiation hazards and direct workers to vacate hazardous areas.
How that compares
Among the 46 life, physical and social science occupations, nuclear technicians rank 43. The group averages 12.2%, and its most exposed job is Political Scientists at 45.2%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.
Level with 0.0%
- 346New Accounts Clerks 0.0%
- 346Nuclear Engineers 0.0%
- 346Nuclear Power Reactor Operators 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.