Will AI replace Anthropologists and Archeologists?
AI can do 81% of the work Anthropologists and Archeologists do at least twice as fast. People already use it for 4 of their 30 tasks, while 18 more are ready but barely used so far. 8 still need a person.
AI is already doing this4 · 23% of time
People already use AI for these tasks in real work, based on Anthropic's analysis of how Claude is used.
- Write about and present research findings for a variety of specialized and general audiences.Mostly automated15% of time
- Record the exact locations and conditions of artifacts uncovered in diggings or surveys, using drawings and photographs as necessary.Mostly automated4% of time
- Create data records for use in describing and analyzing social patterns and processes, using photography, videography, and audio recordings.Mostly automated3% of time
- Organize public exhibits and displays to promote public awareness of diverse and distinctive cultural traditions.Mostly automated1% of time
AI could do this next18 · 58% of time
AI can speed these up by at least half, but real use has not caught up yet. These are next in line.
- Research, survey, or assess sites of past societies and cultures in search of answers to specific research questions.9% of time
- Collect information and make judgments through observation, interviews, and review of documents.5% of time
- Assess archeological sites for resource management, development, or conservation purposes and recommend methods for site protection.5% of time
- Study objects and structures recovered by excavation to identify, date, and authenticate them and to interpret their significance.4% of time
- Plan and direct research to characterize and compare the economic, demographic, health care, social, political, linguistic, and religious institutions of distinct cultural groups, communities, and organizations.4% of time
- Compare findings from one site with archeological data from other sites to find similarities or differences.4% of time
- Advise government agencies, private organizations, and communities regarding proposed programs, plans, and policies and their potential impacts on cultural institutions, organizations, and communities.4% of time
- Write grant proposals to obtain funding for research.4% of time
- Describe artifacts' physical properties or attributes, such as the materials from which artifacts are made and their size, shape, function, and decoration.3% of time
- Consult site reports, existing artifacts, and topographic maps to identify archeological sites.3% of time
- Develop and test theories concerning the origin and development of past cultures.3% of time
- Study archival collections of primary historical sources to help explain the origins and development of cultural patterns.3% of time
- Identify culturally specific beliefs and practices affecting health status and access to services for distinct populations and communities, in collaboration with medical and public health officials.1% of time
- Train others in the application of ethnographic research methods to solve problems in organizational effectiveness, communications, technology development, policy making, and program planning.1% of time
- Collaborate with economic development planners to decide on the implementation of proposed development policies, plans, and programs based on culturally institutionalized barriers and facilitating circumstances.1% of time
- Formulate general rules that describe and predict the development and behavior of cultures and social institutions.1% of time
- Apply traditional ecological knowledge and assessments of culturally distinctive land and resource management institutions to assist in the resolution of conflicts over habitat protection and resource enhancement.1% of time
- Enhance the cultural sensitivity of elementary and secondary curricula and classroom interactions in collaboration with educators and teachers.under 1% of time
Still needs a person8 · 19% of time
No real AI use, no proven AI speedup and no robot that can do it yet. This is the part of the job to build on.
- Gather and analyze artifacts and skeletal remains to increase knowledge of ancient cultures.4% of time
- Teach or mentor undergraduate and graduate students in anthropology or archeology.4% of time
- Collect artifacts made of stone, bone, metal, and other materials, placing them in bags and marking them to show where they were found.3% of time
- Lead field training sites and train field staff, students, and volunteers in excavation methods.3% of time
- Develop intervention procedures, using techniques such as individual and focus group interviews, consultations, and participant observation of social interaction.1% of time
- Clean, restore, and preserve artifacts.1% of time
- Conduct participatory action research in communities and organizations to assess how work is done and to design work systems, technologies, and environments.1% of time
- Participate in forensic activities, such as tooth and bone structure identification, in conjunction with police departments and pathologists.1% of time
Your week is not the average
Describe what you actually do and get a personal report: your own tasks, what AI can already do, what stays yours and a 90 day plan.
What this means
AI can already do almost all of this work at least twice as fast. Real use is still behind at 21 out of 100, so the change here is only getting started. Expect the role to shift toward deciding what to do, checking AI's work and owning the result.
What to do next
- Do the 4 tasks AI is already handling with AI yourself. Your peers already are, and it is quickly becoming the baseline.
- Get ahead on the 18 tasks AI could do next. These move as tools improve, so learning them early pays off.
- Build on the 8 tasks that stay human. This is where your judgment, skill and relationships matter most.
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