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AI exposure Production

Will AI replace painting?

Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers. US occupation 51-9123.

0.0%

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

O*NET lists 9 tasks for painting. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

9 of the 9 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • Apply coatings, such as paint, ink, or lacquer, to protect or decorate workpiece surfaces, using spray guns, pens, or brushes.Core task
  • Clean and maintain tools and equipment, using solvents, brushes, and rags.Core task
  • Examine finished surfaces of workpieces to verify conformance to specifications and retouch any defective areas.Core task
  • Read job orders and inspect workpieces to determine work procedures and materials required.Core task
  • Clean surfaces of workpieces in preparation for coating, using cleaning fluids, solvents, brushes, scrapers, steam, sandpaper, or cloth.
  • Conceal blemishes in workpieces, such as nicks and dents, using fillers such as putty.
Show the other 3
  • Place coated workpieces in ovens or dryers for specified times to dry or harden finishes.
  • Rinse, drain, or wipe coated workpieces to remove excess coating material or to facilitate setting of finish coats on workpieces.
  • Select and mix ingredients to prepare coating substances according to specifications, using paddles or mechanical mixers.

How that compares

Among the 98 production occupations, painting rank 69. 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. 346Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders 0.0%
  2. 346Packers and Packagers, Hand 0.0%
  3. 346Painters, Construction and Maintenance 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.