Will AI replace Tree Trimmers and Pruners?

AI can do 4% of the work Tree Trimmers and Pruners 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 12 physical tasks. 9 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 · 4% of time

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

  • Inspect trees to determine if they have diseases or pest problems.1% of time
  • Provide information to the public regarding trees, such as advice on tree care.1% of time
  • Plan and develop budgets for tree work, and estimate the monetary value of trees.1% of time

Robots can technically do this12 · 48% 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.

  • Operate shredding and chipping equipment, and feed limbs and brush into the machines.Robots: purpose built settings12% of time
  • Operate boom trucks, loaders, stump chippers, brush chippers, tractors, power saws, trucks, sprayers, and other equipment and tools.Robots: purpose built settings9% of time
  • Load debris and refuse onto trucks and haul it away for disposal.Robots: purpose built settings6% of time
  • Hoist tools and equipment to tree trimmers, and lower branches with ropes or block and tackle.Robots: purpose built settings5% of time
  • Collect debris and refuse from tree trimming and removal operations into piles, using shovels, rakes, or other tools.Robots: purpose built settings5% of time
  • Clean, sharpen, and lubricate tools and equipment.Robots: purpose built settings4% of time
  • Clear sites, streets, and grounds of woody and herbaceous materials, such as tree stumps and fallen trees and limbs.Robots: purpose built settings4% of time
  • Trim jagged stumps, using saws or pruning shears.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time
  • Spray trees to treat diseased or unhealthy trees, including mixing chemicals and calibrating spray equipment.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time
  • Water, root-feed, and fertilize trees.Robots: structured workplaces1% of time
  • Apply tar or other protective substances to cut surfaces or seal surfaces and to protect them from fungi and insects.Robots: purpose built settingsunder 1% of time
  • Split logs or wooden blocks into bolts, pickets, posts, or stakes, using hand tools such as ax wedges, sledgehammers, and mallets.Robots: purpose built settingsunder 1% of time

Still needs a person9 · 48% 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.

  • Cut away dead and excess branches from trees, or clear branches around power lines, using climbing equipment or buckets of extended truck booms, or chainsaws, hooks, handsaws, shears, and clippers.22% of time
  • Trim, top, and reshape trees to achieve attractive shapes or to remove low-hanging branches.9% of time
  • Climb trees, using climbing hooks and belts, or climb ladders to gain access to work areas.6% of time
  • Supervise others engaged in tree trimming work and train lower-level employees.4% of time
  • Transplant and remove trees and shrubs, and prepare trees for moving.4% of time
  • Prune, cut down, fertilize, and spray trees as directed by tree surgeons.1% of time
  • Cable, brace, tie, bolt, stake, and guy trees and branches to provide support.1% of time
  • Remove broken limbs from wires, using hooked extension poles.1% of time
  • Scrape decayed matter from cavities in trees and fill holes with cement to promote healing and to prevent further deterioration.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 48% 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 12 physical tasks robots can technically do. Cost keeps most robots out of work today, so this shift is slower.
  • Build on the 9 tasks that stay human. This is where your judgment, skill and relationships matter most.
Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers5%Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation2%Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners2%Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners0%Pest Control Workers24%First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers33%

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