Will AI replace Potters, Manufacturing?

AI can do 5% of the work Potters, Manufacturing 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 20 physical tasks. 2 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 · 5% of time

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

  • Design clay forms and molds, and decorations for forms.5% of time

Robots can technically do this20 · 90% 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.

  • Raise and shape clay into wares, such as vases and pitchers, on revolving wheels, using hands, fingers, and thumbs.Robots: purpose built settings13% of time
  • Mix and apply glazes to pottery pieces, using tools, such as spray guns.Robots: purpose built settings10% of time
  • Press thumbs into centers of revolving clay to form hollows, and press on the inside and outside of emerging clay cylinders with hands and fingers, gradually raising and shaping clay to desired forms and sizes.Robots: purpose built settings8% of time
  • Operate gas or electric kilns to fire pottery pieces.Robots: purpose built settings8% of time
  • Smooth surfaces of finished pieces, using rubber scrapers and wet sponges.Robots: purpose built settings6% of time
  • Prepare work for sale or exhibition, and maintain relationships with retail, pottery, art, and resource networks that can facilitate sale or exhibition of work.Robots: purpose built settings5% of time
  • Operate pug mills to blend and extrude clay.Robots: purpose built settings5% of time
  • Examine finished ware for defects and measure dimensions, using rule and thickness gauge.Robots: purpose built settings4% of time
  • Maintain supplies of tools, equipment, and materials, and order additional supplies as needed.Robots: purpose built settings4% of time
  • Attach handles to pottery pieces.Robots: purpose built settings4% of time
  • Pack and ship pottery to stores or galleries for retail sale.Robots: purpose built settings4% of time
  • Adjust wheel speeds according to the feel of the clay as pieces enlarge and walls become thinner.Robots: purpose built settings3% of time
  • Position balls of clay in centers of potters' wheels, and start motors or pump treadles with feet to revolve wheels.Robots: purpose built settings3% of time
  • Move pieces from wheels so that they can dry.Robots: purpose built settings3% of time
  • Perform test-fires of pottery to determine how to achieve specific colors and textures.Robots: purpose built settings3% of time
  • Verify accuracy of shapes and sizes of objects, using calipers and templates.Robots: purpose built settings3% of time
  • Operate drying chambers to dry or finish molded ceramic ware.Robots: purpose built settings3% of time
  • Start machine units and conveyors and observe lights and gauges on panel board to verify operational efficiency.Robots: structured workplaces3% of time
  • Adjust pressures, temperatures, and trimming tool settings as required.Robots: purpose built settings3% of time
  • Pull wires through bases of articles and wheels to separate finished pieces.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time

Still needs a person2 · 5% 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.

  • Teach pottery classes.4% of time
  • Design spaces to display pottery for sale.1% of time

Your week is not the average

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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 90% 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 20 physical tasks robots can technically do. Cost keeps most robots out of work today, so this shift is slower.
  • Build on the 2 tasks that stay human. This is where your judgment, skill and relationships matter most.
Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders0%Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders4%Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders7%Etchers and Engravers13%Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic1%Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing3%

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