AI exposure: Agricultural Technicians
Work with agricultural scientists in plant, fiber, and animal research, or assist with animal breeding and nutrition. Set up or maintain laboratory equipment and collect samples from crops or animals. Prepare specimens or record data to assist scientists in biology or related life science experiments. Conduct tests and experiments to improve yield and quality of crops or to increase the resistance of plants and animals to disease or insects.
Reading this score
computedAt 19.5% of weighted task load, Agricultural Technicians sits at the 34th percentile, below the point where a job's centre of gravity has moved. 65.3% of what this role does is untouched, meaning current systems cannot produce that work at all, whatever the commercial incentive.
What holds the line here is embodiment. Across this occupation's 26 tasks it averages 2.09 out of 3, the highest of the five friction dimensions. In plain terms, the work has to happen in physical space. A language model cannot move matter. Until the robotics to do this work is both good enough and cheap enough to deploy widely, capability in software does not reach it.
The most exposed thing this job does is Prepare data summaries, reports, or analyses that include results, charts, or graphs to..., at 73.3%. The least is Transplant trees, vegetables, or horticultural plants, at 0.0%. A gap of 73.3% between two parts of the same job is the reason this index publishes at task level. An occupation-wide number would have hidden both.
Within life, physical and social science occupations, this one is less exposed than the median of 36.3% across the group's 60 roles, with 55 scoring higher. Being in an exposed family does not make a particular job exposed, and the reverse holds too.
What would move this score. Of 26 tasks, 9 are currently banded exposed, 2 assisted and 15 untouched. For that distribution to shift materially would take robotics cheap and reliable enough to deploy at scale, not a better language model. The score is re-computed every quarter against a fresh capability reference, and the change is published rather than quietly applied.
Where the score comes from
judgedEvery task is scored through the standardised work activities it maps to. These are this occupation’s averages on the six rubric dimensions. Capability is what AI can do; the other five are what stands in the way.
| Dimension | Mean | Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Capability | 1.51 | 0-4 |
| Embodiment | 2.09 | 0-3 |
| Presence | 0.63 | 0-3 |
| Accountability | 0.96 | 0-3 |
| Context | 1.54 | 0-3 |
| Verification cost | 1.62 | 0-3 |
Task by task
26 tasks, O*NET 31.0| Task | Exposed | Assisted | Untouched | Importance | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prepare data summaries, reports, or analyses that include results, charts, or graphs to document research findings and results. | 73.3% | 26.7% | 0.0% | 3.85 | exposed |
| Record data pertaining to experimentation, research, or animal care. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 4.16 | exposed |
| Conduct studies of nitrogen or alternative fertilizer application methods, quantities, or timing to ensure satisfaction of crop needs and minimization of leaching, runoff, or denitrification. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 3.94 | exposed |
| Record environmental data from field samples of soil, air, water, or pests to monitor the effectiveness of integrated pest management (IPM) practices. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 3.42 | exposed |
| Determine the germination rates of seeds planted in specified areas. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 3.22 | exposed |
| Respond to general inquiries or requests from the public. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 3.00 | exposed |
| Prepare or present agricultural demonstrations. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 2.90 | exposed |
| Assess comparative soil erosion from various planting or tillage systems, such as conservation tillage with mulch or ridge till systems, no-till systems, or conventional tillage systems with or without moldboard plows. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 2.48 | exposed |
| Devise cultural methods or environmental controls for plants for which guidelines are sketchy or nonexistent. | 26.7% | 23.3% | 50.0% | 3.55 | exposed |
| Supervise pest or weed control operations, including locating and identifying pests or weeds, selecting chemicals and application methods, or scheduling application. | 23.3% | 26.7% | 50.0% | 3.67 | assisted |
| Conduct insect or plant disease surveys. | 16.7% | 33.3% | 50.0% | 3.51 | assisted |
| Perform tests on seeds to evaluate seed viability. | 15.0% | 10.0% | 75.0% | 3.86 | untouched |
| Supervise or train agricultural technicians or farm laborers. | 14.1% | 19.3% | 66.7% | 3.60 | untouched |
| Operate farm machinery, including tractors, plows, mowers, combines, balers, sprayers, earthmoving equipment, or trucks. | 13.3% | 11.7% | 75.0% | 4.27 | untouched |
| Prepare culture media, following standard procedures. | 13.3% | 11.7% | 75.0% | 3.11 | untouched |
| Perform laboratory or field testing, using spectrometers, nitrogen determination apparatus, air samplers, centrifuges, or potential hydrogen (pH) meters to perform tests. | 11.7% | 13.3% | 75.0% | 3.74 | untouched |
| Maintain or repair agricultural facilities, equipment, or tools to ensure operational readiness, safety, and cleanliness. | 10.0% | 15.0% | 75.0% | 4.00 | untouched |
| Examine animals or crop specimens to determine the presence of diseases or other problems. | 10.0% | 15.0% | 75.0% | 3.71 | untouched |
| Prepare laboratory samples for analysis, following proper protocols to ensure that they will be stored, prepared, and disposed of efficiently and effectively. | 10.0% | 15.0% | 75.0% | 3.92 | untouched |
| Prepare land for cultivated crops, orchards, or vineyards by plowing, discing, leveling, or contouring. | 0.0% | 0.0% | 100.0% | 4.28 | untouched |
| Perform crop production duties, such as tilling, hoeing, pruning, weeding, or harvesting crops. | 0.0% | 0.0% | 100.0% | 3.86 | untouched |
| Collect animal or crop samples. | 0.0% | 0.0% | 100.0% | 3.74 | untouched |
| Set up laboratory or field equipment as required for site testing. | 0.0% | 0.0% | 100.0% | 3.62 | untouched |
| Measure or weigh ingredients used in laboratory testing. | 0.0% | 0.0% | 100.0% | 3.87 | untouched |
| Perform general nursery duties, such as propagating standard varieties of plant materials, collecting and germinating seeds, maintaining cuttings of plants, or controlling environmental conditions. | 0.0% | 0.0% | 100.0% | 3.42 | untouched |
| Transplant trees, vegetables, or horticultural plants. | 0.0% | 0.0% | 100.0% | 3.18 | untouched |
Task text and importance ratings sourced from O*NET 31.0. Shares computed. The occupation score is the importance-weighted mean.
Occupations either side of this one
The four closest scores in the same occupational family, then the four closest anywhere in the index.
Read this carefully. Exposure is not displacement. A high score means current AI systems can produce this work, not that anyone will stop paying a person to do it. Adoption depends on economics, regulation and inertia that this index deliberately does not model. How the score is built.
What this means in practice
Most of this work is not reachable by current systems, so the immediate pressure is on the administrative edges of the role rather than its core: the scheduling, the reporting, the written records. That is where time is recovered.