Will AI replace Motorboat Operators?

What this score means

Motorboat Operators is among the least exposed roles in Transportation. Most of what the job involves still sits outside what current AI can do, even as the tools around it keep changing. At 13 out of 100 it scores 5 points below the Transportation average of 18. Across the 3 sources behind this baseline, individual estimates run from 5 to 20, 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 Motorboat Operators, most central first, showing 12 of 16.

• 01Operate engine throttles and steering mechanisms to guide boats on desired courses.
• 02Direct safety operations in emergency situations.
• 03Secure boats to docks with mooring lines, and cast off lines to enable departure.
• 04Maintain desired courses, using compasses or electronic navigational aids.
• 05Organize and direct the activities of crew members.
• 06Follow safety procedures to ensure the protection of passengers, cargo, and vessels.
• 07Maintain equipment such as range markers, fire extinguishers, boat fenders, lines, pumps, and fittings.
• 08Report any observed navigational hazards to authorities.
• 09Oversee operation of vessels used for carrying passengers, motor vehicles, or goods across rivers, harbors, lakes, and coastal waters.
• 10Service motors by performing tasks such as changing oil and lubricating parts.
• 11Arrange repairs, fuel, and supplies for vessels.
• 12Issue directions for loading, unloading, and seating in boats.

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 3 research sources that scored Motorboat Operators for AI and automation exposure. More recent, higher confidence studies carry more weight in the final number.

• 01Anthropic Economic Index 2026 - AI Task Exposure · 2026
• 02GPTs are GPTs: Labor Market Impact Potential of LLMs · 2024
• 03AI Occupational Exposure to Language Modeling · 2023

Also covers

Boat Driver · Boat Launch Operator · Boat Operator · Boat Person · Boatman · Crew Boat Operator · Harbor Pilot · Launch Operator and related titles

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