AI exposure: First-Line Supervisors of Helpers, Laborers, and Material Movers, Hand
Directly supervise and coordinate the activities of helpers, laborers, or material movers, hand.
Reading this score
computedFirst-Line Supervisors of Helpers, Laborers, and Material Movers, Hand is one of the unusual cases where capability and friction are both high. Current systems can produce a great deal of this work, with average capability across its tasks at 2.4 out of 4. Only 31.9% of the weighted task load comes out as exposed, because 25.0% of it runs into something structural. Jobs in this band tend not to disappear. They change shape, and the person stays.
What holds the line here is context. Across this occupation's 24 tasks it averages 2.04 out of 3, the highest of the five friction dimensions. In plain terms, the work depends on knowledge the model cannot hold. Much of this job runs on things that were never written down: what this particular organisation does, what happened last week, what the person across the table actually meant. That context is the barrier, and it erodes as systems are given more access.
The most exposed thing this job does is Schedule times of shipment and modes of transportation for materials, at 80.0%. The least is Perform the same work duties as those supervised, or perform more difficult or skilled tasks or..., at 0.0%. A gap of 80.0% 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 transportation and material moving occupations, this one is more exposed than most. The median across the 52 roles in the group is 24.2%, and only 12 of them score higher than this. Occupational families are not uniform, and the spread inside them is often wider than the gap between them.
What would move this score. Of 24 tasks, 11 are currently banded exposed, 5 assisted and 8 untouched. For that distribution to shift materially would take cheaper ways to verify output, since the cost of checking is currently doing more to hold this work in place than the cost of producing it. 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 | 2.42 | 0-4 |
| Embodiment | 1.02 | 0-3 |
| Presence | 1.33 | 0-3 |
| Accountability | 1.12 | 0-3 |
| Context | 2.04 | 0-3 |
| Verification cost | 1.65 | 0-3 |
What this means in practice
Roles in this band tend to change shape rather than disappear. The output gets drafted faster and the person moves toward review, judgment and accountability. The useful question is not whether to use these tools but who is trusted to sign off on what they produce.
Task by task
24 tasks, O*NET 31.0| Task | Exposed | Assisted | Untouched | Importance | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schedule times of shipment and modes of transportation for materials. | 80.0% | 20.0% | 0.0% | 4.02 | exposed |
| Quote prices to customers. | 80.0% | 20.0% | 0.0% | 3.82 | exposed |
| Prepare and maintain work records and reports of information such as employee time and wages, daily receipts, or inspection results. | 73.3% | 26.7% | 0.0% | 4.07 | exposed |
| Check specifications of materials loaded or unloaded against information contained in work orders. | 73.3% | 26.7% | 0.0% | 3.87 | exposed |
| Plan work schedules and assign duties to maintain adequate staff for effective performance of activities and response to fluctuating workloads. | 64.2% | 23.3% | 12.5% | 4.01 | exposed |
| Examine freight to determine loading sequences. | 55.0% | 20.0% | 25.0% | 4.38 | exposed |
| Inventory supplies and requisition or purchase additional items, as necessary. | 55.0% | 20.0% | 25.0% | 3.99 | exposed |
| Estimate material, time, and staffing requirements for a given project, based on work orders, job specifications, and experience. | 50.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 3.93 | exposed |
| Provide assistance in balancing books, tracking, monitoring, or projecting a unit's budget needs, and in developing unit policies and procedures. | 50.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 3.72 | exposed |
| Conduct staff meetings to relay general information or to address specific topics, such as safety. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 3.90 | exposed |
| Transmit and explain work orders to laborers. | 37.5% | 25.0% | 37.5% | 4.02 | exposed |
| Inform designated employees or departments of items loaded or problems encountered. | 30.0% | 45.0% | 25.0% | 4.12 | assisted |
| Participate in the hiring process by reviewing credentials, conducting interviews, or making hiring decisions or recommendations. | 30.0% | 45.0% | 25.0% | 3.94 | assisted |
| Recommend or initiate personnel actions, such as promotions, transfers, or disciplinary measures. | 30.0% | 45.0% | 25.0% | 3.83 | assisted |
| Evaluate employee performance and prepare performance appraisals. | 25.0% | 50.0% | 25.0% | 3.68 | assisted |
| Counsel employees in work-related activities, personal growth, or career development. | 16.7% | 33.3% | 50.0% | 3.91 | assisted |
| Inspect equipment for wear and for conformance to specifications. | 11.7% | 13.3% | 75.0% | 4.11 | untouched |
| Review work throughout the work process and at completion to ensure that it has been performed properly. | 10.0% | 15.0% | 75.0% | 4.39 | untouched |
| Collaborate with workers and managers to solve work-related problems. | 8.3% | 16.7% | 75.0% | 4.42 | untouched |
| Resolve personnel problems, complaints, or formal grievances when possible, or refer them to higher-level supervisors for resolution. | 8.3% | 16.7% | 75.0% | 3.84 | untouched |
| Maintain a safe working environment by monitoring safety procedures and equipment. | 6.7% | 18.3% | 75.0% | 4.47 | untouched |
| Assess training needs of staff and arrange for or provide appropriate instruction. | 6.7% | 18.3% | 75.0% | 3.90 | untouched |
| Inspect job sites to determine the extent of maintenance or repairs needed. | 6.7% | 18.3% | 75.0% | 3.67 | untouched |
| Perform the same work duties as those supervised, or perform more difficult or skilled tasks or assist in their performance. | 0.0% | 0.0% | 100.0% | 3.86 | 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.