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AI exposure Protective service

Will AI replace protective service workers?

Protective Service Workers, All Other. US occupation 33-9099.

5.7%

of the time protective service workers spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of protective service workers' working hours go on tasks AI has already started taking off their plate.

Ranked 240 of 756 US occupations. More exposed than 68% of them.Further along than 68% of them.

Average US job 7.7%

Around the middle of the pack.Keeping pace with the average job.

What AI already does for protective service workersWhat protective service workers no longer do alone

O*NET lists 21 tasks for protective service workers. AI use at work shows up in 2 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.

  1. Monitor compliance with standard operating procedures for loss prevention, physical security, or risk management.Core task mostly automated 1.00
  2. Prepare written reports on investigations.Core task automated and assisted 0.79

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

19 of the 21 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • Apprehend shoplifters in accordance with guidelines.Core task
  • Collaborate with law enforcement agencies to report or investigate crimes.Core task
  • Conduct store audits to identify problem areas or procedural deficiencies.Core task
  • Coordinate with risk management, human resources, or other departments to assist in company programs, investigations, or training.Core task
  • Direct work of contract security officers or other loss prevention agents.Core task
  • Identify and report merchandise or stock shortages.Core task
Show the other 13
  • Identify and report safety concerns to maintain a safe shopping and working environment.Core task
  • Implement or monitor processes to reduce property or financial losses.Core task
  • Inspect buildings, equipment, or access points to determine security risks.Core task
  • Investigate known or suspected internal theft, external theft, or vendor fraud.Core task
  • Maintain documentation or reports on security-related incidents or investigations.Core task
  • Perform covert surveillance of areas susceptible to loss, such loading docks, distribution centers, or warehouses.Core task
  • Recommend methods to reduce potential financial fraud losses.Core task
  • Recommend new or improved processes or equipment to reduce risk exposure.Core task
  • Respond to critical incidents, such as catastrophic events, violent weather, or civil disorders.Core task
  • Testify in civil or criminal court proceedings.Core task
  • Train establishment personnel in loss prevention activities.Core task
  • Verify proper functioning of physical security systems, such as closed-circuit televisions, alarms, sensor tag systems, or locks.Core task
  • Conduct employee background investigations and review reports with operational or human resources managers.

How that compares

Among the 21 protective service occupations, protective service workers rank 2. The group averages 1.2%, and its most exposed job is Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers at 12.3%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.

All 756 occupations, ranked

Just above in the ranking

  1. 237Electrical Engineers 5.9%
  2. 237Registered Nurses 5.9%
  3. 240Fashion Designers 5.7%

Just below

  1. 242First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers 5.6%
  2. 243Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health 5.5%
  3. 244Actuaries 5.4%

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.