AI exposure Production
Will AI replace welding?
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders. US occupation 51-4122.
The reading
0.0%
of the time welding spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of welding'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 weldingWhat welding no longer do alone
O*NET lists 29 tasks for welding. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.
What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human
29 of the 29 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.
- Assemble, align, and clamp workpieces into holding fixtures to bond, heat-treat, or solder fabricated metal components.Core task
- Clean, lubricate, maintain, and adjust equipment to maintain efficient operation, using air hoses, cleaning fluids, and hand tools.Core task
- Conduct trial runs before welding, soldering, or brazing, and make necessary adjustments to equipment.Core task
- Correct problems by adjusting controls or by stopping machines and opening holding devices.Core task
- Devise or build fixtures or jigs used to hold parts in place during welding, brazing, or soldering.Core task
- Give directions to other workers regarding machine set-up and use.Core task
Show the other 23
- Inspect, measure, or test completed metal workpieces to ensure conformance to specifications, using measuring and testing devices.Core task
- Lay out, fit, or connect parts to be bonded, calculating production measurements, as necessary.Core task
- Mark weld points and positions of components on workpieces, using rules, squares, templates, or scribes.Core task
- Observe meters, gauges, or machine operations to ensure that soldering or brazing processes meet specifications.Core task
- Prepare metal surfaces or workpieces, using hand-operated equipment, such as grinders, cutters, or drills.Core task
- Read blueprints, work orders, or production schedules to determine product or job instructions or specifications.Core task
- Record operational information on specified production reports.Core task
- Remove completed workpieces or parts from machinery, using hand tools.Core task
- Select torch tips, alloys, flux, coil, tubing, or wire, according to metal types or thicknesses, data charts, or records.Core task
- Select, position, align, and bolt jigs, holding fixtures, guides, or stops onto machines, using measuring instruments and hand tools.Core task
- Set dials and timing controls to regulate electrical current, gas flow pressure, heating or cooling cycles, or shut-off.Core task
- Set up, operate, or tend welding machines that join or bond components to fabricate metal products or assemblies.Core task
- Transfer components, metal products, or assemblies, using moving equipment.Core task
- Turn and press knobs and buttons or enter operating instructions into computers to adjust and start welding machines.Core task
- Add chemicals or materials to workpieces or machines to facilitate bonding or to cool workpieces.
- Anneal finished workpieces to relieve internal stress.
- Compute and record settings for new work, applying knowledge of metal properties, principles of welding, and shop mathematics.
- Dress electrodes, using tip dressers, files, emery cloths, or dressing wheels.
- Fill hoppers and position spouts to direct flow of flux or manually brush flux onto seams of workpieces.
- Immerse completed workpieces into water or acid baths to cool and clean components.
- Load or feed workpieces into welding machines to join or bond components.
- Start, monitor, and adjust robotic welding production lines.
- Tend auxiliary equipment used in welding processes.
How that compares
Among the 98 production occupations, welding rank 97. 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.