Will AI replace Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining?
AI can do 8% of the work Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining 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 14 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 next4 · 8% of time
AI can speed these up by at least half, but real use has not caught up yet. These are next in line.
- Monitor loading processes to ensure that materials are loaded according to specifications.3% of time
- Read written instructions or confer with supervisors about schedules and materials to be moved.2% of time
- Observe and record car numbers, carriers, customers, tonnages, and grades and conditions of material.1% of time
- Maintain records of materials moved.1% of time
Robots can technically do this14 · 72% 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.
- Drive loaded shuttle cars to ramps and move controls to discharge loads into mine cars or onto conveyors.Robots: purpose built settings23% of time
- Operate levers to move conveyor booms or shovels so that mine contents such as coal, rock, and ore can be placed into cars or onto conveyors.Robots: structured workplaces9% of time
- Advance machines to gather material and convey it into cars.Robots: purpose built settings8% of time
- Drive machines into piles of material blasted from working faces.Robots: structured workplaces7% of time
- Control conveyors that run the entire length of shuttle cars to distribute loads as loading progresses.Robots: structured workplaces7% of time
- Move trailing electrical cables clear of obstructions, using rubber safety gloves.Robots: purpose built settings3% of time
- Oil, lubricate, and adjust conveyors, crushers, and other equipment, using hand tools and lubricating equipment.Robots: purpose built settings3% of time
- Examine roadway and clear obstructions from the path of travel.Robots: purpose built settings3% of time
- Handle high voltage sources and hang electrical cables.Robots: purpose built settings2% of time
- Observe hand signals, grade stakes, or other markings when operating machines.Robots: structured workplaces2% of time
- Stop gathering arms when cars are full.Robots: structured workplaces1% of time
- Guide and stop cars by switching, applying brakes, or placing scotches, or wooden wedges, between wheels and rails.Robots: structured workplaces1% of time
- Move mine cars into position for loading and unloading, using pinchbars inserted under car wheels to position cars under loading spouts.Robots: structured workplaces1% of time
- Push or ride cars down slopes, or hook cars to cables and control cable drum brakes, to ease cars down inclines.Robots: purpose built settingsunder 1% of time
Still needs a person7 · 20% 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.
- Clean, fuel, service, and perform safety checks on all equipment, and repair and replace parts as necessary.9% of time
- Clean hoppers, and clean spillage from tracks, walks, driveways, and conveyor decking.3% of time
- Pry off loose material from roofs and move it into the paths of machines, using crowbars.2% of time
- Replace hydraulic hoses, headlight bulbs, and gathering-arm teeth.2% of time
- Signal workers to move loaded cars.1% of time
- Direct other workers to move stakes, place blocks, position anchors or cables, or move materials.1% of time
- Measure, weigh, or verify levels of rock, gravel, or other excavated material to prevent equipment overloads.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 75% of the working time, though they are rarely cheap enough to replace people yet.
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 14 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.
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