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AI exposure Transportation and material moving

Will AI replace sailors and marine oilers?

Sailors and Marine Oilers. US occupation 53-5011.

0.0%

of the time sailors and marine oilers spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of sailors and marine oilers' 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 sailors and marine oilersWhat sailors and marine oilers no longer do alone

O*NET lists 24 tasks for sailors and marine oilers. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

24 of the 24 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • Chip and clean rust spots on decks, superstructures, or sides of ships, using wire brushes and hand or air chipping machines.Core task
  • Handle lines to moor vessels to wharfs, to tie up vessels to other vessels, or to rig towing lines.Core task
  • Lubricate machinery, equipment, or engine parts, such as gears, shafts, or bearings.Core task
  • Maintain government-issued certifications, as required.Core task
  • Operate, maintain, or repair ship equipment, such as winches, cranes, derricks, or weapons system.Core task
  • Paint or varnish decks, superstructures, lifeboats, or sides of ships.Core task
Show the other 18
  • Provide engineers with assistance in repairing or adjusting machinery.Core task
  • Splice and repair ropes, wire cables, or cordage, using marlinespikes, wire cutters, twine, and hand tools.Core task
  • Stand watch in ships' bows or bridge wings to look for obstructions in a ship's path or to locate navigational aids, such as buoys or lighthouses.Core task
  • Sweep, mop, and wash down decks to remove oil, dirt, and debris, using brooms, mops, brushes, and hoses.Core task
  • Attach hoses and operate pumps to transfer substances to and from liquid cargo tanks.
  • Break out, rig, and stow cargo-handling gear, stationary rigging, or running gear.
  • Clean and polish wood trim, brass, or other metal parts.
  • Examine machinery to verify specified pressures or lubricant flows.
  • Give directions to crew members engaged in cleaning wheelhouses or quarterdecks.
  • Load or unload materials, vehicles, or passengers from vessels.
  • Lower and man lifeboats when emergencies occur.
  • Maintain a ship's engines under the direction of the ship's engineering officers.
  • Measure depth of water in shallow or unfamiliar waters, using leadlines, and telephone or shout depth information to vessel bridges.
  • Overhaul lifeboats or lifeboat gear and lower or raise lifeboats with winches or falls.
  • Read pressure and temperature gauges or displays and record data in engineering logs.
  • Record data in ships' logs, such as weather conditions or distances traveled.
  • Steer ships under the direction of commanders or navigating officers or direct helmsmen to steer, following designated courses.
  • Tie barges together into tow units for tugboats to handle, inspecting barges periodically during voyages and disconnecting them when destinations are reached.

How that compares

Among the 44 transportation and material moving occupations, sailors and marine oilers rank 35. The group averages 0.6%, and its most exposed job is Passenger Attendants at 11.7%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.

All 756 occupations, ranked

Level with 0.0%

  1. 346Roof Bolters, Mining 0.0%
  2. 346Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas 0.0%
  3. 346Roustabouts, Oil and Gas 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.