Will AI replace Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining?
AI can do 0% of the work Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining do at least twice as fast. None of their 16 tasks show real AI use yet. Robots can technically handle 11 physical tasks. 5 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 this11 · 84% 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.
- Move levers, depress foot pedals, and turn dials to operate power machinery, such as power shovels, stripping shovels, scraper loaders, or backhoes.Robots: structured workplaces45% of time
- Operate machinery to perform activities such as backfilling excavations, vibrating or breaking rock or concrete, or making winter roads.Robots: structured workplaces8% of time
- Lubricate, adjust, or repair machinery and replace parts, such as gears, bearings, or bucket teeth.Robots: purpose built settings6% of time
- Observe hand signals, grade stakes, or other markings when operating machines so that work can be performed to specifications.Robots: almost anywhere5% of time
- Move materials over short distances, such as around a construction site, factory, or warehouse.Robots: structured workplaces5% of time
- Create or maintain inclines or ramps.Robots: purpose built settings3% of time
- Handle slides, mud, or pit cleanings or maintenance.Robots: structured workplaces3% of time
- Measure and verify levels of rock or gravel, bases, or other excavated material.Robots: almost anywhere2% of time
- Adjust dig face angles for varying overburden depths and set lengths.Robots: purpose built settings2% of time
- Drive machines to work sites.Robots: structured workplaces2% of time
- Perform manual labor to prepare or finish sites, such as shoveling materials by hand.Robots: purpose built settings2% of time
Still needs a person5 · 16% 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.
- Set up or inspect equipment prior to operation.7% of time
- Become familiar with digging plans, machine capabilities and limitations, and efficient and safe digging procedures in a given application.3% of time
- Receive written or oral instructions regarding material movement or excavation.3% of time
- Direct ground workers engaged in activities such as moving stakes or markers, or changing positions of towers.1% of time
- Direct workers engaged in placing blocks or outriggers to prevent capsizing of machines when lifting heavy loads.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
Little of this work suits AI. The bigger change here is robots: today's robots can technically do 84% of the working time, though they are rarely cheap enough to replace people yet.
What to do next
- Keep an eye on the 11 physical tasks robots can technically do. Cost keeps most robots out of work today, so this shift is slower.
- Build on the 5 tasks that stay human. This is where your judgment, skill and relationships matter most.
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