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

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 16 out of 100 it sits close to the Manufacturing average of 14. Across the 3 sources behind this baseline, individual estimates run from 11 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 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 3 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.

• 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

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