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AI Job Risk

Occupation baseline · Research consensus

Will AI replace Cooks, Restaurant?

Lower risk

Baseline AI displacement risk for Cooks, Restaurant, aggregated from 9 research sources.

What this score means

Cooks, Restaurant leans toward the safer end for Hospitality. Parts of the role touch tasks AI is getting good at, but the core still depends on hands on work or judgment that resists automation. At 26 out of 100 it sits close to the Hospitality average of 24. Across the 9 sources behind this baseline, individual estimates run from 11 to 47, so the score is a weighted consensus rather than any single figure.

The number is a consensus estimate for the typical version of the role, built from published academic and industry research scored occupation by occupation. It is not a prediction about any individual. How scoring works

What this job actually involves

Exposure follows the work itself rather than the job title, so it is worth seeing what the role is made of. These are the tasks O*NET records for Cooks, Restaurant, most central first, showing 12 of 20.

  • 01Ensure food is stored and cooked at correct temperature by regulating temperature of ovens, broilers, grills, and roasters.
  • 02Inspect and clean food preparation areas, such as equipment, work surfaces, and serving areas, to ensure safe and sanitary food-handling practices.
  • 03Portion, arrange, and garnish food, and serve food to waiters or patrons.
  • 04Ensure freshness of food and ingredients by checking for quality, keeping track of old and new items, and rotating stock.
  • 05Season and cook food according to recipes or personal judgment and experience.
  • 06Coordinate and supervise work of kitchen staff.
  • 07Bake, roast, broil, and steam meats, fish, vegetables, and other foods.
  • 08Weigh, measure, and mix ingredients according to recipes or personal judgment, using various kitchen utensils and equipment.
  • 09Turn or stir foods to ensure even cooking.
  • 10Observe and test foods to determine if they have been cooked sufficiently, using methods such as tasting, smelling, or piercing them with utensils.
  • 11Substitute for or assist other cooks during emergencies or rush periods.
  • 12Wash, peel, cut, and seed fruits and vegetables to prepare them for consumption.

Task statements from O*NET by the National Center for O*NET Development, used under CC BY 4.0. The tasks are descriptive; the exposure score above is ours.

The research behind this score

This baseline aggregates 9 research sources that scored Cooks, Restaurant for AI and automation exposure. More recent, higher confidence studies carry more weight in the final number.

Common questions

How likely is AI to replace Cooks, Restaurant?
Published research puts Cooks, Restaurant at 26 out of 100 for AI displacement risk, in the lower risk band. The number is a weighted consensus of 9 research sources and describes the typical version of the role, not any individual.
Do researchers agree on the risk for Cooks, Restaurant?
Only partly. Individual estimates for Cooks, Restaurant run from 11 to 47 out of 100 across the 9 sources behind this score, so the single number smooths over real disagreement. More recent and higher confidence studies carry more weight in it.
Which hospitality roles face similar AI exposure?
The closest published hospitality roles to Cooks, Restaurant by score are Fast Food and Counter Workers (26/100), Waiters and Waitresses (27/100), and Baristas (24/100). Each has its own page with the research behind its number.

Also covers

Back Line Cook · Back of House Team Member (BOH Team Member) · Banquet Cook · Breakfast Cook · Broiler Cook · Chef De Partie · Cook · Foreign Food Specialty Cook and related titles

Estimated displacement window

The dated estimate for this role is included in the full personalised report.

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Informational guidance based on published research, not professional career or financial advice. Scores update as new research is ingested.