Will AI replace machine feeders and offbearers?

Some tasks are already handled by AI or machines; the rest still needs a person. About 3h 26m of an 8-hour shift goes to tasks that AI or robots largely take over. The other 4h 34m (57%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 13.1% fewer of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

None of this job's tasks show regular AI use yet. That can mean the work is hands-on or in person, or simply that it rarely comes up in AI usage data.

For some tasks, yes. Robots have done 5 of this job's tasks in workplaces like this one, about 3h 26m of a typical shift. 7 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here.

• Load materials and products into machines and equipment, or onto conveyors, using hand tools and moving devices. (1h 40m a shift; e.g. Figure 02, in use)
• Transfer materials and products to and from machinery and equipment, using industrial trucks or hand trucks. (50m a shift; e.g. OTTO 1500 AMR (lift attachment) with FactoryTalk Optix, in use)
• Clean and maintain machinery, equipment, and work areas to ensure proper functioning and safe working conditions. (37m a shift; e.g. Avidbots Neo, in use)
• Shovel or scoop materials into containers, machines, or equipment for processing, storage, or transport. (12m a shift; e.g. Chef Robotics ChefOS robotic arms, in use)

4h 34m of a typical shift, or 57%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Remove materials and products from machines and equipment, and place them in boxes, trucks or conveyors, using hand tools and moving devices. (1h 34m a shift)
• Fasten, package, or stack materials and products, using hand tools and fastening equipment. (56m a shift)
• Inspect materials and products for defects, and to ensure conformance to specifications. (37m a shift)
• Push dual control buttons and move controls to start, stop, or adjust machinery and equipment. (25m a shift)
• Record production and operational data, such as amount of materials processed. (19m a shift)

Part of the answer is the setting, not just the tasks. Work that is in person, hands on or high stakes is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 87% spend more than half the day on their feet
• 81% use their hands on tools, objects or controls more than half the time
• 52% carry high or very high responsibility for other workers' safety

On Indeed, job postings in the Loading & Stocking sector are at 109% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), up 12.4% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 4,000 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $41,220 a year ($19.82 an hour), 19% below the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $32,220 and $58,160 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects a decline of 13.1% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 36,000 jobs in 2035. Even so, it expects about 4,000 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 42,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.03% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 414th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 36,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a high school diploma: about 73% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 2 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: high school diploma, some training. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Operations Monitoring, Monitoring
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 4h 34m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook

These use similar skills, with less of a typical shift touched by AI or robots. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers (29m touched, $54k median pay)
• Quarry Rock Splitters (0m touched, $49k median pay)
• Sewing Machine Operators (19m touched, $37k median pay)
• Molders, Shapers, and Casters (6m touched, $46k median pay)
• Helpers for Production Workers (2h 55m touched, $39k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 5 with robots in real deployments, 8 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.