AI exposure Life, physical and social science
Will AI replace political scientists?
Political Scientists. US occupation 19-3094.
The reading
45.2%
of the time political scientists spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of political scientists' working hours go on tasks AI has already started taking off their plate.
Ranked 21 of 756 US occupations. More exposed than 97% of them.Further along than 97% of them.
Per cent of working time Square-law scale
Average US job 7.7%
One of the most exposed jobs in the country.Front of the queue for an AI assistant.
What AI already does for political scientistsWhat political scientists no longer do alone
O*NET lists 14 tasks for political scientists. AI use at work shows up in 5 of them. Each score runs from 0.5, where every observed use helps a person with the task, to 1, where every use does the task outright.
- Develop and test theories, using information from interviews, newspapers, periodicals, case law, historical papers, polls, or statistical sources.Core task mostly automated 1.00
- Teach political science.Core task mostly automated 1.00
- Interpret and analyze policies, public issues, legislation, or the operations of governments, businesses, and organizations.Core task mostly automated 0.86
- Evaluate programs and policies, and make related recommendations to institutions and organizations. automated and assisted 0.83
- Write drafts of legislative proposals, and prepare speeches, correspondence, and policy papers for governmental use. automated and assisted 0.75
What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human
9 of the 14 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.
- Advise political science students.Core task
- Collect, analyze, and interpret data, such as election results and public opinion surveys, reporting on findings, recommendations, and conclusions.Core task
- Disseminate research results through academic publications, written reports, or public presentations.Core task
- Forecast political, economic, and social trends.Core task
- Identify issues for research and analysis.Core task
- Maintain current knowledge of government policy decisions.Core task
Show the other 3
- Serve on committees.Core task
- Consult with and advise government officials, civic bodies, research agencies, the media, political parties, and others concerned with political issues.
- Provide media commentary or criticism related to public policy and political issues and events.
How that compares
Among the 46 life, physical and social science occupations, political scientists rank 1. The group averages 12.2%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.
Just above in the ranking
- 18Data Scientists 46.1%
- 19Public Relations Specialists 45.3%
- 19Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 45.3%
Just below
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.