Will AI replace Commercial Divers?
AI can do 18% of the work Commercial Divers do at least twice as fast. Real use has not caught up: none of their tasks show up in real AI use yet, but AI could speed up 4 of them. Robots can technically handle 13 physical tasks. 6 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 next4 · 18% of time
AI can speed these up by at least half, but real use has not caught up yet. These are next in line.
- Communicate with workers on the surface while underwater, using signal lines or telephones.7% of time
- Obtain information about diving tasks and environmental conditions.7% of time
- Operate underwater video, sonar, recording, or related equipment to investigate underwater structures or marine life.3% of time
- Take test samples or photographs to assess the condition of vessels or structures.2% of time
Robots can technically do this13 · 45% 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.
- Inspect and test docks, ships, buoyage systems, plant intakes or outflows, or underwater pipelines, cables, or sewers, using closed circuit television, still photography, and testing equipment.Robots: structured workplaces7% of time
- Inspect the condition of underwater steel or wood structures.Robots: purpose built settings7% of time
- Descend into water with the aid of diver helpers, using scuba gear or diving suits.Robots: structured workplaces4% of time
- Cut and weld steel, using underwater welding equipment, jigs, and supports.Robots: purpose built settings4% of time
- Perform offshore oil or gas exploration or extraction duties, such as conducting underwater surveys or repairing and maintaining drilling rigs or platforms.Robots: purpose built settings4% of time
- Recover objects by placing rigging around sunken objects, hooking rigging to crane lines, and operating winches, derricks, or cranes to raise objects.Robots: purpose built settings3% of time
- Install, inspect, clean, or repair piping or valves.Robots: purpose built settings3% of time
- Install pilings or footings for piers or bridges.Robots: purpose built settings2% of time
- Remove obstructions from strainers or marine railway or launching ways, using pneumatic or power hand tools.Robots: purpose built settings2% of time
- Set or guide placement of pilings or sandbags to provide support for structures, such as docks, bridges, cofferdams, or platforms.Robots: purpose built settings2% of time
- Perform activities related to underwater search and rescue, salvage, recovery, or cleanup operations.Robots: purpose built settings2% of time
- Carry out non-destructive testing, such as tests for cracks on the legs of oil rigs at sea.Robots: purpose built settings2% of time
- Remove rubbish or pollution from the sea.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time
Still needs a person6 · 37% 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.
- Check and maintain diving equipment, such as helmets, masks, air tanks, harnesses, or gauges.13% of time
- Take appropriate safety precautions, such as monitoring dive lengths and depths and registering with authorities before diving expeditions begin.11% of time
- Repair ships, bridge foundations, or other structures below the water line, using caulk, bolts, and hand tools.5% of time
- Supervise or train other divers, including hobby divers.5% of time
- Salvage wrecked ships or their cargo, using pneumatic power velocity and hydraulic tools and explosive charges, when necessary.1% of time
- Drill holes in rock and rig explosives for underwater demolitions.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 speed up parts of this job, mostly the paperwork and information work around it. The core still depends on hands, presence or relationships. Robots are the other change to watch: they can technically do 50% of the working time.
What to do next
- Get ahead on the 4 tasks AI could do next. These move as tools improve, so learning them early pays off.
- Keep an eye on the 13 physical tasks robots can technically do. Cost keeps most robots out of work today, so this shift is slower.
- Build on the 6 tasks that stay human. This is where your judgment, skill and relationships matter most.
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