Job Check
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Set up, operate, or tend lathe and turning machines to turn, bore, thread, form, or face metal or plastic materials, such as wire, rod, or bar stock.
10 main tasks · most important first
Your main tasks and AI
Importance- 01Adjust machine controls and change tool settings to keep dimensions within specified tolerances.Mostly human for now
- 02Move controls to set cutting speeds and depths and feed rates, and to position tools in relation to workpieces.Mostly human for now
- 03Study blueprints, layouts or charts, and job orders for information on specifications and tooling instructions, and to determine material requirements and operational sequences.AI could speed this up, with extra tools
- 04Inspect sample workpieces to verify conformance with specifications, using instruments such as gauges, micrometers, and dial indicators.Mostly human for now
- 05Replace worn tools, and sharpen dull cutting tools and dies, using bench grinders or cutter-grinding machines.Mostly human for now
- 06Move toolholders manually or by turning handwheels, or engage automatic feeding mechanisms to feed tools to and along workpieces.Mostly human for now
- 07Compute unspecified dimensions and machine settings, using knowledge of metal properties and shop mathematics.AI could speed this up a lot
- 08Crank machines through cycles, stopping to adjust tool positions and machine controls to ensure specified timing, clearances, and tolerances.Mostly human for now
- 09Position, secure, and align cutting tools in toolholders on machines, using hand tools, and verify their positions with measuring instruments.Mostly human for now
- 10Start lathe or turning machines and observe operations to ensure that specifications are met.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
16%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 49% 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 91% 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.
- Adjust machine controls and change tool settings to keep dimensions within specified tolerances.
- Move controls to set cutting speeds and depths and feed rates, and to position tools in relation to workpieces.
- Inspect sample workpieces to verify conformance with specifications, using instruments such as gauges, micrometers, and dial indicators.