AI exposure Production
Will AI replace separating?
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders. US occupation 51-9012.
The reading
0.0%
of the time separating spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of separating'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.
Per cent of working time Square-law scale
Average US job 7.7%
Among the least exposed jobs there are.Still waiting for liberation.
What AI already does for separatingWhat separating no longer do alone
O*NET lists 20 tasks for separating. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.
What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human
20 of the 20 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.
- Assemble fittings, valves, bowls, plates, disks, impeller shafts, or other parts to prepare equipment for operation.Core task
- Clean or sterilize tanks, screens, inflow pipes, production areas, or equipment, using hoses, brushes, scrapers, or chemical solutions.Core task
- Collect samples of materials or products for laboratory analysis.Core task
- Communicate processing instructions to other workers.Core task
- Connect pipes between vats and processing equipment.Core task
- Dump, pour, or load specified amounts of refined or unrefined materials into equipment or containers for further processing or storage.Core task
Show the other 14
- Examine samples to verify qualities such as clarity, cleanliness, consistency, dryness, or texture.Core task
- Inspect machines or equipment for hazards, operating efficiency, malfunctions, wear, or leaks.Core task
- Install, maintain, or repair hoses, pumps, filters, or screens to maintain processing equipment, using hand tools.Core task
- Maintain logs of instrument readings, test results, or shift production for entry in computer databases.Core task
- Measure or weigh materials to be refined, mixed, transferred, stored, or otherwise processed.Core task
- Monitor material flow or instruments, such as temperature or pressure gauges, indicators, or meters, to ensure optimal processing conditions.Core task
- Operate machines to process materials in compliance with applicable safety, energy, or environmental regulations.Core task
- Remove clogs, defects, or impurities from machines, tanks, conveyors, screens, or other processing equipment.Core task
- Set up or adjust machine controls to regulate conditions such as material flow, temperature, or pressure.Core task
- Start agitators, shakers, conveyors, pumps, or centrifuge machines.Core task
- Test samples to determine viscosity, acidity, specific gravity, or degree of concentration, using test equipment such as viscometers, pH meters, or hydrometers.Core task
- Turn valves or move controls to admit, drain, separate, filter, clarify, mix, or transfer materials.Core task
- Turn valves to pump sterilizing solutions or rinse water through pipes or equipment or to spray vats with atomizers.Core task
- Remove full containers from discharge outlets and replace them with empty containers.
How that compares
Among the 98 production occupations, separating rank 82. 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%.
Level with 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.