Will AI replace Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals?
AI can do 6% of the work Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals 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 3 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 next3 · 6% of time
AI can speed these up by at least half, but real use has not caught up yet. These are next in line.
- Maintain growth, feeding, production, and cost records.3% of time
- Segregate animals according to weight, age, color, and physical condition.2% of time
- Mark livestock to identify ownership and grade, using brands, tags, paint, or tattoos.1% of time
Robots can technically do this9 · 64% 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.
- Feed and water livestock and monitor food and water supplies.Robots: structured workplaces23% of time
- Clean stalls, pens, and equipment, using disinfectant solutions, brushes, shovels, water hoses, or pumps.Robots: structured workplaces12% of time
- Drive trucks, tractors, and other equipment to distribute feed to animals.Robots: structured workplaces7% of time
- Herd livestock to pastures for grazing or to scales, trucks, or other enclosures.Robots: structured workplaces6% of time
- Move equipment, poultry, or livestock from one location to another, manually or using trucks or carts.Robots: structured workplaces5% of time
- Mix feed, additives, and medicines in prescribed portions.Robots: purpose built settings4% of time
- Shift animals between grazing areas to ensure that they have sufficient access to food.Robots: almost anywhere2% of time
- Patrol grazing lands on horseback or using all-terrain vehicles.Robots: structured workplaces2% of time
- Spray livestock with disinfectants and insecticides, or dip or bathe animals.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time
Still needs a person7 · 30% 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.
- Inspect, maintain, and repair equipment, machinery, buildings, pens, yards, and fences.10% of time
- Examine animals to detect illness, injury, or disease, and to check physical characteristics, such as rate of weight gain.6% of time
- Provide medical treatment, such as administering medications and vaccinations, or arrange for veterinarians to provide more extensive treatment.4% of time
- Perform duties related to livestock reproduction, such as breeding animals within appropriate timeframes, performing artificial inseminations, and helping with animal births.4% of time
- Groom, clip, trim, or castrate animals, dock ears and tails, or shear coats to collect hair.3% of time
- Order food for animals, and arrange for its delivery.1% of time
- Protect herds from predators, using trained dogs.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 66% of the working time, though they are rarely cheap enough to replace people yet.
What to do next
- Get ahead on the 3 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.
Related jobs
Get the weekly brief
One short email a week on how AI is changing work, including jobs like this one.