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How exposed to AI is a Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Ga?

Of the 30 tasks O*NET lists for earth drillers, except oil and gas, 0 could be done in half the time with a chat window today. 22 cannot be sped up at all. Here is which.

Exposure means published research judged an AI could halve the time a task takes, at the same quality. It does not mean the task stops needing a person. How to read this

Also called
Blast Hole DrillerDiamond DrillerDrill OperatorDrillerHard Rock Drill OperatorHighwall Drill OperatorRock Drill OperatorUnderground Drill OperatorWater Well DrillerWell Driller
Reachable today Needs software built first Cannot be sped up
30
tasks rated for this occupation
0%
hold a degree, from a survey of only 17
16k
people do this job in the US
5 of 61
least protected in construction

Every task, and what AI can do with it

These are O*NET's task statements for this occupation, exactly as written, sorted into the three bands by the ratings behind this report. Nothing has been reworded.

Only with software built on top

8
  • Document geological formations encountered during work
  • Record drilling progress and geological data
  • Create and lay out designs for drill and blast patterns
  • Review client requirements and proposed locations for drilling operations to determine feasibility, and to determine cost estimates
  • Design well pumping systems
  • Signal crane operators to move equipment
  • Observe electronic graph recorders and flow meters that monitor the water used to flush debris from holes
  • Monitor drilling operations, by checking gauges and listening to equipment to assess drilling conditions and to determine the need to adjust drilling or alter equipment

Cannot be sped up

22
  • Operate controls to stabilize machines and to position and align drills
  • Start, stop, and control drilling speed of machines and insertion of casings into holes
  • Regulate air pressure, rotary speed, and downward pressure, according to the type of rock or concrete being drilled
  • Select and attach drill bits and drill rods, adding more rods as hole depths increase, and changing drill bits as needed
  • Drive or guide truck-mounted equipment into position, level and stabilize rigs, and extend telescoping derricks
  • Operate machines to flush earth cuttings or to blow dust from holes
  • Verify depths and alignments of boring positions
  • Perform routine maintenance and upgrade work on machines and equipment, such as replacing parts, building up drill bits, and lubricating machinery
  • Select the appropriate drill for the job, using knowledge of rock or soil conditions
  • Drive trucks, tractors, or truck-mounted drills to and from work sites
  • Assemble and position machines, augers, casing pipes, and other equipment, using hand and power tools
  • Retrieve lost equipment from bore holes, using retrieval tools and equipment
  • Fabricate well casings
  • Pour water into wells, or pump water or slush into wells to cool drill bits and to remove drillings
  • Place and install screens, casings, pumps, and other well fixtures to develop wells
  • Operate water-well drilling rigs and other equipment to drill, bore, and dig for water wells or for environmental assessment purposes
  • Drill or bore holes in rock for blasting, grouting, anchoring, or building foundations
  • Perform pumping tests to assess well performance
  • Disinfect, reconstruct, and redevelop contaminated wells and water pumping systems, and clean and disinfect new wells in preparation for use
  • Withdraw drill rods from holes, and extract core samples
  • Inspect core samples to determine nature of strata, or take samples to laboratories for analysis
  • Retract augers to force discharge dirt from holes
What this does not say

This is not a prediction about your job

Nobody surveyed an employer. Tasks are counted equally, so a percentage here is a share of the list rather than a share of your week. And the ratings were made in 2023, which makes every figure a floor rather than a ceiling.

It must never be used to select anyone for redundancy. The full limits are here.

Where to go next

This is the standard task list for the title. The useful next question is which of the tasks you actually do should go near AI, and which should not.

Sort your own tasks Read the full report

Exposure ratings from Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock, GPTs are GPTs: Labor market impact potential of LLMs, Science 384, 1306–1308, 2024, used under the MIT licence. This page includes information from the O*NET Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. People Team AI has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Employment figures from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.