Are Crane Hookers at Risk Due to AI?

All agricultural workers not listed separately.

The occupation "Agricultural Workers, All Other" is assessed to have an automation risk of 0.0%, indicating an extremely low likelihood of being replaced by machines or AI in the foreseeable future. This low base risk can be attributed to the diverse and often unpredictable range of tasks these workers perform, many of which are not easily standardized or mechanized. Unlike more specialized agricultural roles, this catch-all category covers a variety of responsibilities that often require adaptability, on-the-spot problem-solving, and manual dexterity. Automation technologies have advanced rapidly in some agricultural sectors, but for this broader classification, rapid automation is less feasible. The unique conditions and requirements of different farms, crops, and animal husbandry practices make it challenging to develop a one-size-fits-all robotic system. Examining the top three most automatable tasks within this occupation, they typically consist of: (1) repetitive harvesting and sorting of crops where crop uniformity is high and field conditions are suitable for existing machinery, (2) application of pesticides or fertilizers using automated sprayers in controlled environments, and (3) routine maintenance of simple equipment. However, these tasks often represent only a fraction of the daily workload for "all other" agricultural workers. Many tasks are context-dependent, requiring adaptation to unique weather, soil, or animal conditions, which current automation technologies are ill-equipped to handle efficiently or cost-effectively at scale. As such, while partial automation is possible in specific, controlled scenarios, the overall job content remains largely resistant. The most automation-resistant tasks for "Agricultural Workers, All Other" generally include (1) diagnosing and managing unexpected animal health issues or unusual crop diseases, (2) customizing care or maintenance routines to the variable needs of different plants or livestock, and (3) improvising solutions in the face of unique climate, mechanical, or logistical challenges. These tasks rely heavily on bottleneck skills such as Complex Problem Solving (Level 4), Manual Dexterity (Level 4), and Adaptability/Flexibility (Level 5). The need for real-time judgment, context awareness, and nuanced manual interventions ensures that human expertise remains essential. These bottleneck skills present significant barriers to effective automation, reinforcing the occupation's remarkable resistance to replacement by machines.