Will AI replace Fallers?

AI can do 9% of the work Fallers 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 2 of them. Robots can technically handle 9 physical tasks. 7 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 next2 · 9% of time

AI can speed these up by at least half, but real use has not caught up yet. These are next in line.

  • Determine position, direction, and depth of cuts to be made, and placement of wedges or jacks.5% of time
  • Select trees to be cut down, assessing factors such as site, terrain, and weather conditions before beginning work.4% of time

Robots can technically do this9 · 47% 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.

  • Trim off the tops and limbs of trees, using chainsaws, delimbers, or axes.Robots: purpose built settings15% of time
  • Measure felled trees and cut them into specified log lengths, using chain saws and axes.Robots: purpose built settings12% of time
  • Saw back-cuts, leaving sufficient sound wood to control direction of fall.Robots: purpose built settings10% of time
  • Stop saw engines, pull cutting bars from cuts, and run to safety as tree falls.Robots: purpose built settings2% of time
  • Assess logs after cutting to ensure that the quality and length are correct.Robots: purpose built settings2% of time
  • Tag unsafe trees with high-visibility ribbons.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time
  • Load logs or wood onto trucks, trailers, or railroad cars, by hand or using loaders or winches.Robots: structured workplaces1% of time
  • Mark logs for identification.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time
  • Place supporting limbs or poles under felled trees to avoid splitting undersides, and to prevent logs from rolling.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time

Still needs a person7 · 44% 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.

  • Control the direction of a tree's fall by scoring cutting lines with axes, sawing undercuts along scored lines with chainsaws, knocking slabs from cuts with single-bit axes, and driving wedges.11% of time
  • Clear brush from work areas and escape routes, and cut saplings and other trees from direction of falls, using axes, chainsaws, or bulldozers.9% of time
  • Maintain and repair chainsaws and other equipment, cleaning, oiling, and greasing equipment, and sharpening equipment properly.9% of time
  • Appraise trees for certain characteristics, such as twist, rot, and heavy limb growth, and gauge amount and direction of lean, to determine how to control the direction of a tree's fall with the least damage.7% of time
  • Work as a member of a team, rotating between chain saw operation and skidder operation.4% of time
  • Insert jacks or drive wedges behind saws to prevent binding of saws and to start trees falling.2% of time
  • Secure steel cables or chains to logs for dragging by tractors or for pulling by cable yarding systems.2% of time

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What this means

Little of this work suits AI. The bigger change here is robots: today's robots can technically do 47% of the working time, though they are rarely cheap enough to replace people yet.

What to do next

  • Get ahead on the 2 tasks AI could do next. These move as tools improve, so learning them early pays off.
  • Keep an eye on the 9 physical tasks robots can technically do. Cost keeps most robots out of work today, so this shift is slower.
  • Build on the 7 tasks that stay human. This is where your judgment, skill and relationships matter most.
Logging Equipment Operators2%Log Graders and Scalers29%Forest and Conservation Workers8%Animal Breeders12%Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals6%Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse4%

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