How likely is AI to replace Riggers?

Published research puts Riggers at 14 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 Riggers?

Only partly. Individual estimates for Riggers run from 5 to 38 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 construction & trades roles face similar AI exposure?

The closest published construction & trades roles to Riggers by score are Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas (14/100), Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining (14/100), and Hazardous Materials Removal Workers (14/100). Each has its own page with the research behind its number.

Occupation baseline · Research consensus

Will AI replace Riggers?

Lower risk

Baseline AI displacement risk for Riggers, aggregated from 5 research sources.

What this score means

Riggers is among the least exposed roles in Construction & Trades. Most of what the job involves still sits outside what current AI can do, even as the tools around it keep changing. At 14 out of 100 it sits close to the Construction & Trades average of 13. Across the 5 sources behind this baseline, individual estimates run from 5 to 38, 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 Riggers, most central first, showing 12 of 14.

01Test rigging to ensure safety and reliability.
02Signal or verbally direct workers engaged in hoisting and moving loads to ensure safety of workers and materials.
03Control movement of heavy equipment through narrow openings or confined spaces, using chainfalls, gin poles, gallows frames, and other equipment.
04Tilt, dip, and turn suspended loads to maneuver over, under, or around obstacles, using multi-point suspension techniques.
05Select gear, such as cables, pulleys, and winches, according to load weights and sizes, facilities, and work schedules.
06Dismantle and store rigging equipment after use.
07Attach loads to rigging to provide support or prepare them for moving, using hand and power tools.
08Manipulate rigging lines, hoists, and pulling gear to move or support materials, such as heavy equipment, ships, or theatrical sets.
09Align, level, and anchor machinery.
10Load machines onto trucks to prepare for transportation.
11Attach pulleys and blocks to fixed overhead structures, such as beams, ceilings, and gin pole booms, using bolts and clamps.
12Fabricate, set up, and repair rigging, supporting structures, hoists, and pulling gear, using hand and power tools.

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 Riggers for AI and automation exposure. More recent, higher confidence studies carry more weight in the final number.

01Anthropic Economic Index 2026 - AI Task Exposure · 2026Anthropic
02Global Automation Atlas: Task Substitution Exposure by Occupation · 2026Garg, Crosta, Baier (2026), arXiv:2605.17086
03Working with AI: Measuring the Applicability of Generative AI to Occupations · 2025Tomlinson, Jaffe et al., Microsoft Research (2025)
04GPTs are GPTs: Labor Market Impact Potential of LLMs · 2024Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin, Rock (Science, 2024)
05AI Occupational Exposure to Language Modeling · 2023Felten, Raj, Seamans (2023)

Common questions

How likely is AI to replace Riggers?: Published research puts Riggers at 14 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 Riggers?: Only partly. Individual estimates for Riggers run from 5 to 38 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 construction & trades roles face similar AI exposure?: The closest published construction & trades roles to Riggers by score are Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas (14/100), Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining (14/100), and Hazardous Materials Removal Workers (14/100). Each has its own page with the research behind its number.

Also covers

Acrobatic Rigger · Boat Rigger · Certified Rigger · Crane Rigger · Fly Rail Operator · Gantry Rigger · Gear Repairer · Grip 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.