OBSERVED IN REAL USE · Anthropic 2026
0%
of this role’s work is already showing up in real Claude usage (Anthropic Economic Index).
The robots can help. They can’t replace the room you read.
20% of this role’s O*NET tasks are within reach of today’s AI. That is the core-weighted exposure score from Eloundou et al. 2023 (“GPTs are GPTs”). It measures a capability ceiling, not a headcount forecast. Mostly safe. AI helps around the edges, but the job stays human.
WHAT AI CAN ALREADY DO
- Read switching instructions and daily car schedules to determine work to be performed, or receive orders from yard conductors
- Report arrival and departure times, train delays, work order completion, and time on duty
- Confer with conductors and other workers via radiotelephones or computers to exchange switching information
- Receive, relay, and act upon instructions and inquiries from train operations and customer service center personnel
- Record numbers of cars available, numbers of cars sent to repair stations, and types of service needed
WHAT IT STILL CAN’T
- Observe and respond to wayside and cab signals, including color light signals, position signals, torpedoes, flags, and hot box detectors
- Inspect engines before and after use to ensure proper operation
- Apply and release hand brakes
- Signal crew members for movement of engines or trains, using lanterns, hand signals, radios, or telephones
- Inspect track for defects such as broken rails and switch malfunctions
THE HONEST PART. A percentage is not a pink slip. High exposure usually means a role shrinks and shifts toward judgment, direction and responsibility: the parts a model can’t sign its name to. Exposure ≠ displacement. Breathe.
"My job is 20% cooked. What’s yours?"
SOURCES: O*NET 30.3 occupational tasks · Eloundou et al. 2023 (“GPTs are GPTs”,
arXiv:2303.10130) · Anthropic Economic Index 2026 (CC-BY) |
how this is calculated |
last updated 2026-07-16