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How exposed to AI is a Tree Trimmers and Pruner?

Of the 26 tasks O*NET lists for tree trimmers and pruners, 0 could be done in half the time with a chat window today. 23 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
ArboristClimberGrounds WorkerGroundsmanLaborerPlant Health Care TechnicianTree ClimberTree TrimmerTrimmer
Reachable today Needs software built first Cannot be sped up
26
tasks rated for this occupation
0%
hold a degree, from a survey of 21
42k
people do this job in the US
4 of 8
least protected in cleaning and grounds

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

3
  • Inspect trees to determine if they have diseases or pest problems
  • Provide information to the public regarding trees, such as advice on tree care
  • Plan and develop budgets for tree work, and estimate the monetary value of trees

Cannot be sped up

23
  • Operate shredding and chipping equipment, and feed limbs and brush into the machines
  • Operate boom trucks, loaders, stump chippers, brush chippers, tractors, power saws, trucks, sprayers, and other equipment and tools
  • 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
  • Clean, sharpen, and lubricate tools and equipment
  • Hoist tools and equipment to tree trimmers, and lower branches with ropes or block and tackle
  • Climb trees, using climbing hooks and belts, or climb ladders to gain access to work areas
  • Supervise others engaged in tree trimming work and train lower-level employees
  • Trim, top, and reshape trees to achieve attractive shapes or to remove low-hanging branches
  • Load debris and refuse onto trucks and haul it away for disposal
  • Trim jagged stumps, using saws or pruning shears
  • Clear sites, streets, and grounds of woody and herbaceous materials, such as tree stumps and fallen trees and limbs
  • Collect debris and refuse from tree trimming and removal operations into piles, using shovels, rakes, or other tools
  • Cable, brace, tie, bolt, stake, and guy trees and branches to provide support
  • Prune, cut down, fertilize, and spray trees as directed by tree surgeons
  • Remove broken limbs from wires, using hooked extension poles
  • Water, root-feed, and fertilize trees
  • Install lightning protection on trees
  • Scrape decayed matter from cavities in trees and fill holes with cement to promote healing and to prevent further deterioration
  • Spray trees to treat diseased or unhealthy trees, including mixing chemicals and calibrating spray equipment
  • Apply tar or other protective substances to cut surfaces or seal surfaces and to protect them from fungi and insects
  • Transplant and remove trees and shrubs, and prepare trees for moving
  • Split logs or wooden blocks into bolts, pickets, posts, or stakes, using hand tools such as ax wedges, sledgehammers, and mallets
  • Harvest tanbark by cutting rings and slits in bark and stripping bark from trees, using spuds or axes
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.