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AI Job Risk

Occupation baseline · Research consensus

Will AI replace Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic?

Lower risk

Baseline AI displacement risk for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, aggregated from 5 research sources.

What this score means

Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is among the least exposed roles in Manufacturing. Most of what the job involves still sits outside what current AI can do, even as the tools around it keep changing. At 23 out of 100 it scores 4 points above the Manufacturing average of 19. Across the 5 sources behind this baseline, individual estimates run from 10 to 49, 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 Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, most central first, showing 12 of 21.

  • 01Inspect workpieces for defects, and measure workpieces to determine accuracy of machine operation, using rules, templates, or other measuring instruments.
  • 02Position, adjust, and secure stock material or workpieces against stops, on arbors, or in chucks, fixtures, or automatic feeding mechanisms, manually or using hoists.
  • 03Read blueprints or job orders to determine product specifications and tooling instructions and to plan operational sequences.
  • 04Select, install, and adjust alignment of drills, cutters, dies, guides, and holding devices, using templates, measuring instruments, and hand tools.
  • 05Observe machine operation to detect workpiece defects or machine malfunctions, adjusting machines as necessary.
  • 06Set up and operate machines, such as lathes, cutters, shears, borers, millers, grinders, presses, drills, or auxiliary machines, to make metallic and plastic workpieces.
  • 07Change worn machine accessories, such as cutting tools or brushes, using hand tools.
  • 08Set machine stops or guides to specified lengths as indicated by scales, rules, or templates.
  • 09Select the proper coolants and lubricants and start their flow.
  • 10Remove burrs, sharp edges, rust, or scale from workpieces, using files, hand grinders, wire brushes, or power tools.
  • 11Perform minor machine maintenance, such as oiling or cleaning machines, dies, or workpieces, or adding coolant to machine reservoirs.
  • 12Make minor electrical and mechanical repairs and adjustments to machines and notify supervisors when major service is required.

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 5 research sources that scored Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 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 Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic?
Published research puts Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic at 23 out of 100 for AI displacement risk, in the lower risk band. The number is a weighted consensus of 5 research sources and describes the typical version of the role, not any individual.
Do researchers agree on the risk for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic?
Only partly. Individual estimates for Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic run from 10 to 49 out of 100 across the 5 sources behind this score, so the single number smooths over real disagreement. More recent and higher confidence studies carry more weight in it.
Which manufacturing roles face similar AI exposure?
The closest published manufacturing roles to Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic by score are Food Batchmakers (23/100), Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (23/100), and Printing Press Operators (23/100). Each has its own page with the research behind its number.

Also covers

Automatic Wheel-Line Operator · Ballistics Laboratory Gunsmith · CNC Machine Setter (Computer Numerically Controlled Machine Setter) · Cell Technician · Centrifugal Control Switch Machine Operator · Clock Machine Setter · Combination Machine Tool Operator · Combination Machine Tool Setter and related titles

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