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AI exposure Construction and extraction

Will AI replace sheet metal workers?

Sheet Metal Workers. US occupation 47-2211.

0.0%

of the time sheet metal workers spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of sheet metal workers' 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 sheet metal workersWhat sheet metal workers no longer do alone

O*NET lists 19 tasks for sheet metal workers. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

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

  • Determine project requirements, such as scope, assembly sequences, or required methods or materials, using blueprints, drawings, or written or verbal instructions.Core task
  • Fabricate ducts for high efficiency heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to maximize efficiency of systems.Core task
  • Fabricate or alter parts at construction sites, using shears, hammers, punches, or drills.Core task
  • Fasten seams or joints together with welds, bolts, cement, rivets, solder, caulks, metal drive clips, or bonds to assemble components into products or to repair sheet metal items.Core task
  • Hire, train, or supervise new employees or apprentices.Core task
  • Install assemblies, such as flashing, pipes, tubes, heating and air conditioning ducts, furnace casings, rain gutters, or downspouts in supportive frameworks.Core task
Show the other 13
  • Lay out, measure, and mark dimensions and reference lines on material, such as roofing panels, using calculators, scribes, dividers, squares, or rulers.Core task
  • Maintain equipment, making repairs or modifications when necessary.Core task
  • Maneuver completed roofing units into position for installation.Core task
  • Select gauges or types of sheet metal or nonmetallic material, according to product specifications.Core task
  • Shape metal material over anvils, blocks, or other forms, using hand tools.Core task
  • Transport prefabricated parts to construction sites for assembly and installation.Core task
  • Trim, file, grind, deburr, buff, or smooth surfaces, seams, or joints of assembled parts, using hand tools or portable power tools.Core task
  • Convert blueprints into shop drawings to be followed in the construction or assembly of sheet metal products.
  • Fasten roof panel edges or machine-made moldings to structures by nailing or welding.
  • Finish parts, using hacksaws or hand, rotary, or squaring shears.
  • Inspect individual parts, assemblies, or installations, using measuring instruments, such as calipers, scales, or micrometers.
  • Perform building commissioning activities by completing mechanical inspections of a building's water, lighting, or heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
  • Verify that heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are designed, installed, and calibrated in accordance with green certification standards, such as those of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

How that compares

Among the 56 construction and extraction occupations, sheet metal workers rank 51. 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. 346Sewers, Hand 0.0%
  2. 346Sewing Machine Operators 0.0%
  3. 346Shampooers 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.