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How exposed to AI is a Faller?

Of the 19 tasks O*NET lists for fallers, 2 could be done in half the time with a chat window today. 17 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
Cutter OperatorLoggerSawyerTimber CutterTimber FallerTree FallerTree FellerTree Topper
Reachable today Needs software built first Cannot be sped up
19
tasks rated for this occupation
0%
hold a degree, from a survey of only 17
4k
people do this job in the US
8 of 12
least protected in farming and forestry

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.

Reachable with a chat window today

2
  • Determine position, direction, and depth of cuts to be made, and placement of wedges or jacks
  • Select trees to be cut down, assessing factors such as site, terrain, and weather conditions before beginning work

Cannot be sped up

17
  • Stop saw engines, pull cutting bars from cuts, and run to safety as tree falls
  • Appraise trees for certain characteristics, such as twist, rot, and heavy limb growth, and gauge amount and direction of lean, to determine how to control the direction of a tree's fall with the least damage
  • Saw back-cuts, leaving sufficient sound wood to control direction of fall
  • Clear brush from work areas and escape routes, and cut saplings and other trees from direction of falls, using axes, chainsaws, or bulldozers
  • Measure felled trees and cut them into specified log lengths, using chain saws and axes
  • Assess logs after cutting to ensure that the quality and length are correct
  • Control the direction of a tree's fall by scoring cutting lines with axes, sawing undercuts along scored lines with chainsaws, knocking slabs from cuts with single-bit axes, and driving wedges
  • Trim off the tops and limbs of trees, using chainsaws, delimbers, or axes
  • Maintain and repair chainsaws and other equipment, cleaning, oiling, and greasing equipment, and sharpening equipment properly
  • Insert jacks or drive wedges behind saws to prevent binding of saws and to start trees falling
  • Tag unsafe trees with high-visibility ribbons
  • Secure steel cables or chains to logs for dragging by tractors or for pulling by cable yarding systems
  • Load logs or wood onto trucks, trailers, or railroad cars, by hand or using loaders or winches
  • Mark logs for identification
  • Work as a member of a team, rotating between chain saw operation and skidder operation
  • Place supporting limbs or poles under felled trees to avoid splitting undersides, and to prevent logs from rolling
  • Split logs, using axes, wedges, and mauls, and stack wood in ricks or cord lots
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.