Job Check
Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Set up, operate, or tend drilling machines to drill, bore, ream, mill, or countersink metal or plastic work pieces.
10 main tasks · most important first
Your main tasks and AI
Importance- 01Verify conformance of machined work to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as calipers, micrometers, or fixed or telescoping gauges.Mostly human for now
- 02Study machining instructions, job orders, or blueprints to determine dimensional or finish specifications, sequences of operations, setups, or tooling requirements.AI could speed this up, with extra tools
- 03Move machine controls to lower tools to workpieces and to engage automatic feeds.Mostly human for now
- 04Verify that workpiece reference lines are parallel to the axis of table rotation, using dial indicators mounted in spindles.Mostly human for now
- 05Establish zero reference points on workpieces, such as at the intersections of two edges or over hole locations.Mostly human for now
- 06Change worn cutting tools, using wrenches.Mostly human for now
- 07Select and set cutting speeds, feed rates, depths of cuts, and cutting tools, according to machining instructions or knowledge of metal properties.Mostly human for now
- 08Position and secure workpieces on tables, using bolts, jigs, clamps, shims, or other holding devices.Mostly human for now
- 09Observe drilling or boring machine operations to detect any problems.Mostly human for now
- 10Lift workpieces onto work tables either manually or with hoists or direct crane operators to lift and position workpieces.Mostly human for now
Tasks from O*NET® 31.0 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0, changed by us), most important first. “Already use” comes from Anthropic’s data on real work chats with Claude; “could speed up” from task ratings made with GPT-4 in 2023.
Four studies, side by side
None is a forecast of job lossToo little dataNot enough work use was seen to measure. This does not mean the job is safe from AI.Anthropic, 2026
3%of this job’s tasks an AI model could do in half the time, counting tasks that need extra tools as half (rated in 2023).Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock, 2023
Above 29% of jobsin how often and how well AI helped with this job’s work in Microsoft Copilot chats (2024 data).Microsoft Research (Tomlinson et al.), 2025
Above 83% of jobsin how much of this job’s physical work robots have been shown to do, from factories to homes (2026).Anthropic, 2026
Your human edge
The main tasks with no real AI use seen and no big speed-up expected. This is where your skill counts most today.
- Verify conformance of machined work to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as calipers, micrometers, or fixed or telescoping gauges.
- Move machine controls to lower tools to workpieces and to engage automatic feeds.
- Verify that workpiece reference lines are parallel to the axis of table rotation, using dial indicators mounted in spindles.