Will AI replace Fishing and Hunting Workers?

AI can do 1% of the work Fishing and Hunting Workers 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 1 of them. Robots can technically handle 9 physical tasks. 20 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 next1 · 1% of time

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

  • Oversee the purchase of supplies, gear, and equipment.1% of time

Robots can technically do this9 · 33% 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.

  • Steer vessels and operate navigational instruments.Robots: structured workplaces8% of time
  • Sort, pack, and store catch in holds with salt and ice.Robots: purpose built settings7% of time
  • Travel on foot, by vehicle, or by equipment such as boats, snowmobiles, helicopters, snowshoes, or skis to reach hunting areas.Robots: almost anywhere3% of time
  • Transport fish to processing plants or to buyers.Robots: structured workplaces3% of time
  • Wash decks, conveyors, knives, and other equipment, using brushes, detergents, and water.Robots: purpose built settings3% of time
  • Load and unload vessel equipment and supplies, by hand or using hoisting equipment.Robots: purpose built settings3% of time
  • Attach nets, slings, hooks, blades, or lifting devices to cables, booms, hoists, or dredges.Robots: purpose built settings2% of time
  • Scrape fat, blubber, or flesh from skin sides of pelts with knives or hand scrapers.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time
  • Kill or stun trapped quarry, using clubs, poisons, guns, or drowning methods.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time

Still needs a person20 · 66% 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.

  • Put fishing equipment into the water and anchor or tow equipment, according to the fishing method used.9% of time
  • Remove catches from fishing equipment and measure them to ensure compliance with legal size.9% of time
  • Maintain engines, fishing gear, and other on-board equipment and perform minor repairs.8% of time
  • Patrol trap lines or nets to inspect settings, remove catch, and reset or relocate traps.6% of time
  • Harvest marine life for human or animal consumption, using diving or dredging equipment, traps, barges, rods, reels, or tackle.5% of time
  • Locate fish, using fish-finding equipment.3% of time
  • Select, bait, and set traps, and lay poison along trails, according to species, size, habits, and environs of birds or animals and reasons for trapping them.3% of time
  • Skin quarry, using knives, and stretch pelts on frames to be cured.2% of time
  • Track animals by checking for signs such as droppings or destruction of vegetation.2% of time
  • Compute positions and plot courses on charts to navigate vessels, using instruments such as compasses, sextants, and charts.2% of time
  • Interpret weather and vessel conditions to determine appropriate responses.2% of time
  • Connect accessories such as floats, weights, flags, lights, or markers to nets, lines, or traps.2% of time
  • Teach or guide individuals or groups unfamiliar with specific hunting methods or types of prey.2% of time
  • Direct fishing or hunting operations, and supervise crew members.2% of time
  • Obtain permission from landowners to hunt or trap on their land.1% of time
  • Maintain and repair trapping equipment.1% of time
  • Participate in animal damage control, wildlife management, disease control, and research activities.1% of time
  • Release quarry from traps or nets and transfer to cages.1% of time
  • Wash and sort pelts according to species, color, and quality.1% of time
  • Obtain required approvals for using poisons or traps, and notify persons in areas where traps and poison are set.under 1% 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 33% of the working time, though they are rarely cheap enough to replace people yet.

What to do next

  • Get ahead on the 1 task 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 20 tasks that stay human. This is where your judgment, skill and relationships matter most.
Agricultural Equipment Operators0%Logging Equipment Operators2%Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products3%Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse4%Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals6%Forest and Conservation Workers8%

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