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AI exposure Construction and extraction

Will AI replace rotary drill operators?

Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas. US occupation 47-5012.

0.0%

of the time rotary drill operators spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of rotary drill operators' 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 rotary drill operatorsWhat rotary drill operators no longer do alone

O*NET lists 21 tasks for rotary drill operators. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

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

  • Bolt together pump and engine parts, and connect tanks and flow lines.Core task
  • Cap wells with packers, or turn valves, to regulate outflow of oil from wells.Core task
  • Clean and oil pulleys, blocks, and cables.Core task
  • Connect sections of drill pipe, using hand tools and powered wrenches and tongs.Core task
  • Count sections of drill rod to determine depths of boreholes.Core task
  • Direct rig crews in drilling and other activities, such as setting up rigs and completing or servicing wells.Core task
Show the other 15
  • Line drilled holes with pipes, and install all necessary hardware, to prepare new wells.Core task
  • Locate and recover lost or broken bits, casings, and drill pipes from wells, using special tools.Core task
  • Maintain and adjust machinery to ensure proper performance.Core task
  • Maintain records of footage drilled, location and nature of strata penetrated, materials and tools used, services rendered, and time required.Core task
  • Monitor progress of drilling operations, and select and change drill bits according to the nature of strata, using hand tools.Core task
  • Observe pressure gauge and move throttles and levers to control the speed of rotary tables, and to regulate pressure of tools at bottoms of boreholes.Core task
  • Push levers and brake pedals to control gasoline, diesel, electric, or steam draw works that lower and raise drill pipes and casings in and out of wells.Core task
  • Remove core samples during drilling to determine the nature of the strata being drilled.Core task
  • Repair or replace defective parts of machinery, such as rotary drill rigs, water trucks, air compressors, and pumps, using hand tools.Core task
  • Start and examine operation of slush pumps to ensure circulation and consistency of drilling fluid or mud in well.Core task
  • Train crews, and introduce procedures to make drill work more safe and effective.Core task
  • Weigh clay, and mix with water and chemicals to make drilling mud.Core task
  • Lower and explode charges in boreholes to start flow of oil from wells.
  • Plug observation wells, and restore sites.
  • Position and prepare truck-mounted derricks at drilling areas specified on field maps.

How that compares

Among the 56 construction and extraction occupations, rotary drill operators rank 47. The group averages 0.4%, and its most exposed job is Structural Iron and Steel Workers at 4.9%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.

All 756 occupations, ranked

Level with 0.0%

  1. 346Rock Splitters, Quarry 0.0%
  2. 346Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 0.0%
  3. 346Roof Bolters, Mining 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.