How likely is AI to replace Tile and Stone Setters?

Published research puts Tile and Stone Setters at 8 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 Tile and Stone Setters?

Broadly, yes. Individual estimates for Tile and Stone Setters run from 5 to 14 out of 100 across the 5 sources behind this score, a fairly tight range. More recent and higher confidence studies carry more weight in the final number.

Which construction & trades roles face similar AI exposure?

The closest published construction & trades roles to Tile and Stone Setters by score are Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers (8/100), Helpers--Electricians (8/100), and Locksmiths and Safe Repairers (8/100). Each has its own page with the research behind its number.

Occupation baseline · Research consensus

Will AI replace Tile and Stone Setters?

Lower risk

Baseline AI displacement risk for Tile and Stone Setters, aggregated from 5 research sources.

What this score means

Tile and Stone Setters 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 8 out of 100 it scores 5 points below the Construction & Trades average of 13. Across the 5 sources behind this baseline, individual estimates run from 5 to 14, 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 Tile and Stone Setters, most central first, showing 12 of 25.

01Align and straighten tile using levels, squares, and straightedges.
02Finish and dress the joints and wipe excess grout from between tiles, using damp sponge.
03Cut and shape tile to fit around obstacles and into odd spaces and corners, using hand and power cutting tools.
04Determine and implement the best layout to achieve a desired pattern.
05Mix, apply, and spread plaster, concrete, mortar, cement, mastic, glue or other adhesives to form a bed for the tiles, using brush, trowel and screed.
06Study blueprints and examine surface to be covered to determine amount of material needed.
07Measure and mark surfaces to be tiled, following blueprints.
08Lay and set mosaic tiles to create decorative wall, mural, and floor designs.
09Apply mortar to tile back, position the tile, and press or tap with trowel handle to affix tile to base.
10Mix and apply mortar or cement to edges and ends of drain tiles to seal halves and joints.
11Apply a sealer to make grout stain- and water-resistant.
12Level concrete and allow to dry.

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 Tile and Stone Setters 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 Tile and Stone Setters?: Published research puts Tile and Stone Setters at 8 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 Tile and Stone Setters?: Broadly, yes. Individual estimates for Tile and Stone Setters run from 5 to 14 out of 100 across the 5 sources behind this score, a fairly tight range. More recent and higher confidence studies carry more weight in the final number.
Which construction & trades roles face similar AI exposure?: The closest published construction & trades roles to Tile and Stone Setters by score are Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers (8/100), Helpers--Electricians (8/100), and Locksmiths and Safe Repairers (8/100). Each has its own page with the research behind its number.

Also covers

Acoustical Carpenter · Acoustical Installer · Acoustical Material Worker · Bathroom Fitter · Ceramic Tile Installer · Ceramic Tile Mechanic · Ceramic Tile Setter · Floor Tile Layer 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.