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AI exposure Office and administrative support

Will AI replace switchboard operators?

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service. US occupation 43-2011.

38.6%

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

Ranked 37 of 756 US occupations. More exposed than 95% of them.Further along than 95% of them.

Average US job 7.7%

One of the most exposed jobs in the country.Front of the queue for an AI assistant.

What AI already does for switchboard operatorsWhat switchboard operators no longer do alone

O*NET lists 19 tasks for switchboard operators. AI use at work shows up in 4 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. Answer incoming calls, greeting callers, providing information, transferring calls or taking messages as necessary.Core task mostly automated 1.00
  2. Perform administrative tasks, such as accepting orders, scheduling appointments or meeting rooms, or sending and receiving faxes.Core task mostly automated 0.95
  3. Perform various data entry or word processing tasks, such as updating phone directories, typing or proofreading documents, or creating schedules.Core task mostly automated 0.87
  4. Record messages, suggesting rewording for clarity or conciseness.Core task automated and assisted 0.83

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

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

  • Greet visitors, log them in and out of the facility, assign them security badges, and contact employee escorts.Core task
  • Monitor emergency and code alarms, make emergency announcements, or route emergency calls to the appropriate location.Core task
  • Operate communication systems, such as telephone, switchboard, intercom, two-way radio, or public address.Core task
  • Page individuals to inform them of telephone calls, using paging or interoffice communication equipment.Core task
  • Perform various cash handling tasks, such as collecting payments, making bank deposits, or managing petty cash.Core task
  • Place telephone calls or arrange conference calls as instructed.Core task
Show the other 9
  • Process incoming or outgoing mail, packages, or deliveries.Core task
  • Relay or route written or verbal messages.Core task
  • Answer simple questions about clients' businesses, using reference files.
  • Complete forms for sales orders.
  • Contact security staff members when necessary, using radio-telephones.
  • Keep records of calls placed and charges incurred.
  • Monitor alarm systems to ensure that secure conditions are maintained.
  • Place orders, such as for equipment, supplies, or catering for meetings.
  • Stamp messages with time and date and file them appropriately.

How that compares

Among the 50 office and administrative support occupations, switchboard operators rank 9. The group averages 19.1%, and its most exposed job is Customer Service Representatives at 70.1%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.

All 756 occupations, ranked

Just above in the ranking

  1. 33Travel Agents 40.5%
  2. 35Human Resources Specialists 40.3%
  3. 36Financial Managers 39.1%

Just below

  1. 38Astronomers 38.5%
  2. 38Interviewers, Except Eligibility and Loan 38.5%
  3. 40Sociologists 38.3%

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.