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AI Job Risk

Occupation baseline · Research consensus

Will AI replace Soil and Plant Scientists?

Lower risk

Baseline AI displacement risk for Soil and Plant Scientists, aggregated from 6 research sources.

What this score means

Soil and Plant Scientists leans toward the safer end for Research & Science. Parts of the role touch tasks AI is getting good at, but the core still depends on hands on work or judgment that resists automation. At 39 out of 100 it sits close to the Research & Science average of 39. Across the 6 sources behind this baseline, individual estimates run from 8 to 63, 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 Soil and Plant Scientists, most central first, showing 12 of 27.

  • 01Communicate research or project results to other professionals or the public or teach related courses, seminars, or workshops.
  • 02Develop methods of conserving or managing soil that can be applied by farmers or forestry companies.
  • 03Provide information or recommendations to farmers or other landowners regarding ways in which they can best use land, promote plant growth, or avoid or correct problems such as erosion.
  • 04Conduct experiments to develop new or improved varieties of field crops, focusing on characteristics such as yield, quality, disease resistance, nutritional value, or adaptation to specific soils or climates.
  • 05Investigate soil problems or poor water quality to determine sources and effects.
  • 06Investigate responses of soils to specific management practices to determine the use capabilities of soils and the effects of alternative practices on soil productivity.
  • 07Conduct experiments to investigate the underlying mechanisms of plant growth and response to the environment.
  • 08Identify degraded or contaminated soils and develop plans to improve their chemical, biological, or physical characteristics.
  • 09Develop new or improved methods or products for controlling or eliminating weeds, crop diseases, or insect pests.
  • 10Provide advice regarding the development of regulatory standards for land reclamation or soil conservation.
  • 11Study soil characteristics to classify soils on the basis of factors such as geographic location, landscape position, or soil properties.
  • 12Develop improved measurement techniques, soil conservation methods, soil sampling devices, or related technology.

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 6 research sources that scored Soil and Plant Scientists 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 Soil and Plant Scientists?
Published research puts Soil and Plant Scientists at 39 out of 100 for AI displacement risk, in the lower risk band. The number is a weighted consensus of 6 research sources and describes the typical version of the role, not any individual.
Do researchers agree on the risk for Soil and Plant Scientists?
Only partly. Individual estimates for Soil and Plant Scientists run from 8 to 63 out of 100 across the 6 sources behind this score, so the single number smooths over real disagreement. More recent and higher confidence studies carry more weight in it.
Which research & science roles face similar AI exposure?
The closest published research & science roles to Soil and Plant Scientists by score are Biochemists and Biophysicists (39/100), Hydrologists (39/100), and Biologists (40/100). Each has its own page with the research behind its number.

Also covers

Agricultural Specialist · Agriculturist · Agronomist · Apiculturist · Arboreal Scientist · Arboriculture Researcher · Arboriculturist · Arborist 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.