Occupation baseline · Research consensus

Will AI replace Social Science Research Assistants?

Transitioning

Baseline AI displacement risk for Social Science Research Assistants, aggregated from 4 research sources.

What this score means

Social Science Research Assistants is among the more exposed roles in Research & Science. A large share of the work, especially its routine and text-heavy parts, is already within reach of current AI, though the harder judgment calls still need a person. At 70 out of 100 it scores 29 points above the Research & Science average of 41. Across the 4 sources behind this baseline, individual estimates run from 52 to 88, 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 Social Science Research Assistants, most central first, showing 12 of 22.

01Design and create special programs for tasks such as statistical analysis and data entry and cleaning.
02Provide assistance with the preparation of project-related reports, manuscripts, and presentations.
03Prepare tables, graphs, fact sheets, and written reports summarizing research results.
04Perform descriptive and multivariate statistical analyses of data, using computer software.
05Verify the accuracy and validity of data entered in databases, correcting any errors.
06Develop and implement research quality control procedures.
07Prepare, manipulate, and manage extensive databases.
08Perform data entry and other clerical work as required for project completion.
09Conduct internet-based and library research.
10Present research findings to groups of people.
11Obtain informed consent of research subjects or their guardians.
12Administer standardized tests to research subjects, or interview them to collect research data.

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 4 research sources that scored Social Science Research Assistants 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
02Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure · 2025
03GPTs are GPTs: Labor Market Impact Potential of LLMs · 2024
04AI Occupational Exposure to Language Modeling · 2023

Also covers

Bilingual Research Interviewer · Clinical Research Assistant · Data Analyst · Economic Research Assistant · Economist Research Assistant · Graduate Assistant · Graduate Research Assistant · Historian Research Assistant 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.