Will AI replace Brickmasons and Blockmasons?
AI can do 0% of the work Brickmasons and Blockmasons do at least twice as fast. None of their 14 tasks show real AI use yet. Robots can technically handle 12 physical tasks. 2 still need a person.
AI is already doing this0 · 0% of time
People already use AI for these tasks in real work, based on Anthropic's analysis of how Claude is used.
- Real AI use has not reached any of this job's tasks yet.
AI could do this next0 · 0% of time
AI can speed these up by at least half, but real use has not caught up yet. These are next in line.
- No other tasks in this job can be sped up by AI today.
Robots can technically do this12 · 86% of time
Physical tasks that today's robots can perform in at least some settings. Robots are cost competitive for very few tasks so far, so this change moves slower.
- Lay and align bricks, blocks, or tiles to build or repair structures or high temperature equipment, such as cupola, kilns, ovens, or furnaces.Robots: purpose built settings21% of time
- Apply and smooth mortar or other mixture over work surface.Robots: almost anywhere17% of time
- Construct corners by fastening in plumb position a corner pole or building a corner pyramid of bricks, and filling in between the corners using a line from corner to corner to guide each course, or layer, of brick.Robots: structured workplaces8% of time
- Break or cut bricks, tiles, or blocks to size, using trowel edge, hammer, or power saw.Robots: purpose built settings7% of time
- Measure distance from reference points and mark guidelines to lay out work, using plumb bobs and levels.Robots: structured workplaces6% of time
- Fasten or fuse brick or other building material to structure with wire clamps, anchor holes, torch, or cement.Robots: purpose built settings6% of time
- Mix specified amounts of sand, clay, dirt, or mortar powder with water to form refractory mixtures.Robots: purpose built settings6% of time
- Calculate angles and courses and determine vertical and horizontal alignment of courses.Robots: almost anywhere4% of time
- Clean working surface to remove scale, dust, soot, or chips of brick and mortar, using broom, wire brush, or scraper.Robots: purpose built settings4% of time
- Remove burned or damaged brick or mortar, using sledgehammer, crowbar, chipping gun, or chisel.Robots: purpose built settings4% of time
- Examine brickwork or structure to determine need for repair.Robots: purpose built settings3% of time
- Spray or spread refractory material over brickwork to protect against deterioration.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time
Still needs a person2 · 14% 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.
- Remove excess mortar with trowels and hand tools, and finish mortar joints with jointing tools, for a sealed, uniform appearance.10% of time
- Interpret blueprints and drawings to determine specifications and to calculate the materials required.4% 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
Little of this work suits AI. The bigger change here is robots: today's robots can technically do 86% of the working time, though they are rarely cheap enough to replace people yet.
What to do next
- Keep an eye on the 12 physical tasks robots can technically do. Cost keeps most robots out of work today, so this shift is slower.
- Build on the 2 tasks that stay human. This is where your judgment, skill and relationships matter most.
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