Will AI replace Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood?

AI can do 1% of the work Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood 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 19 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 · 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.

  • Select saw blades, types or grades of stock, or cutting procedures to be used, according to work orders or supervisors' instructions.1% of time

Robots can technically do this19 · 94% 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.

  • Set up, operate, or tend saws or machines that cut or trim wood to specified dimensions, such as circular saws, band saws, multiple-blade sawing machines, scroll saws, ripsaws, or crozer machines.Robots: purpose built settings17% of time
  • Guide workpieces against saws, saw over workpieces by hand, or operate automatic feeding devices to guide cuts.Robots: purpose built settings13% of time
  • Monitor sawing machines, adjusting speed and tension and clearing jams to ensure proper operation.Robots: purpose built settings10% of time
  • Inspect and measure workpieces to mark for cuts and to verify the accuracy of cuts, using rulers, squares, or caliper rules.Robots: purpose built settings6% of time
  • Count, sort, or stack finished workpieces.Robots: purpose built settings6% of time
  • Position and clamp stock on tables, conveyors, or carriages, using hoists, guides, stops, dogs, wedges, or wrenches.Robots: purpose built settings5% of time
  • Adjust saw blades, using wrenches and rulers, or by turning handwheels or pressing pedals, levers, or panel buttons.Robots: purpose built settings4% of time
  • Examine logs or lumber to plan the best cuts.Robots: purpose built settings4% of time
  • Inspect stock for imperfections or to estimate grades or qualities of stock or workpieces.Robots: purpose built settings4% of time
  • Operate panelboards of saw or conveyor systems to move stock through processes or to cut stock to specified dimensions.Robots: purpose built settings4% of time
  • Lubricate or clean machines, using wrenches, grease guns, or solvents.Robots: purpose built settings4% of time
  • Trim lumber to straighten rough edges or remove defects, using circular saws.Robots: purpose built settings4% of time
  • Adjust bolts, clamps, stops, guides, or table angles or heights, using hand tools.Robots: purpose built settings2% of time
  • Sharpen blades, or replace defective or worn blades or bands, using hand tools.Robots: purpose built settings2% of time
  • Dispose of waste material after completing work assignments.Robots: purpose built settings2% of time
  • Measure and mark stock for cuts.Robots: purpose built settings2% of time
  • Cut grooves, bevels, or miters, saw curved or irregular designs, and sever or shape metals, according to specifications or work orders.Robots: purpose built settings2% of time
  • Unclamp and remove finished workpieces from tables.Robots: purpose built settings2% of time
  • Mount and bolt sawing blades or attachments to machine shafts.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.

  • Clear machine jams, using hand tools.2% of time
  • Examine blueprints, drawings, work orders, or patterns to determine equipment set-up or selection details, procedures to be used, or dimensions of final products.2% 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 94% 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 19 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.
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing6%Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters4%Furniture Finishers8%Patternmakers, Wood20%Model Makers, Wood21%Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters1%

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