AI exposure score

Food Batchmakers

Food Batchmakers score 12 out of 100, which is low exposure to AI. That ranks #729 of 923 US occupations, where #1 is the most exposed. Of the 25 tasks in this job, AI could speed up 2 on its own and 1 more with extra software built on top of it. In April–May 2026, 2 of these tasks showed up in real conversations with Claude, Anthropic's AI assistant.

12/ 100

Low

Rank: #729of 923 jobs
US workers: 174,520BLS, May 2025
Median pay: $42,290a year
In real AI use: 2 of 25tasks, April–May 2026

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Task by task

Each task this job involves, as listed by O*NET, rated on whether a large language model like GPT-4 could cut the time it takes by at least half at the same quality. Tasks marked Seen in real AI use appeared in conversations with Claude in April–May 2026 (Anthropic Economic Index).

AI can speed this up on its own: 2 (8%)
AI can speed this up with extra software: 1 (4%)
Little or no AI speed-up: 22 (88%)

Record production and test data for each food product batch, such as the ingredients used, temperature, test results, and time cycle.AI can speed this up on its own · core task
Determine mixing sequences, based on knowledge of temperature effects and of the solubility of specific ingredients.AI can speed this up on its own · core task
Formulate or modify recipes for specific kinds of food products.AI can speed this up with extra software · supplemental task · Seen in real AI use
Clean and sterilize vats and factory processing areas.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Set up, operate, and tend equipment that cooks, mixes, blends, or processes ingredients in the manufacturing of food products, according to formulas or recipes.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Mix or blend ingredients, according to recipes, using a paddle or an agitator, or by controlling vats that heat and mix ingredients.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Follow recipes to produce food products of specified flavor, texture, clarity, bouquet, or color.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Give directions to other workers who are assisting in the batchmaking process.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Select and measure or weigh ingredients, using English or metric measures and balance scales.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Press switches and turn knobs to start, adjust, and regulate equipment, such as beaters, extruders, discharge pipes, and salt pumps.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Observe and listen to equipment to detect possible malfunctions, such as leaks or plugging, and report malfunctions or undesirable tastes to supervisors.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Observe gauges and thermometers to determine if the mixing chamber temperature is within specified limits, and turn valves to control the temperature.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Turn valve controls to start equipment and to adjust operation to maintain product quality.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Modify cooking and forming operations based on the results of sampling processes, adjusting time cycles and ingredients to achieve desired qualities, such as firmness or texture.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Examine, feel, and taste product samples during production to evaluate quality, color, texture, flavor, and bouquet, and document the results.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Test food product samples for moisture content, acidity level, specific gravity, or butter-fat content, and continue processing until desired levels are reached.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task
Inspect vats after cleaning to ensure that fermentable residue has been removed.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task
Fill processing or cooking containers, such as kettles, rotating cookers, pressure cookers, or vats, with ingredients, by opening valves, by starting pumps or injectors, or by hand.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task
Manipulate products, by hand or using machines, to separate, spread, knead, spin, cast, cut, pull, or roll products.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task
Cool food product batches on slabs or in water-cooled kettles.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task
Place products on carts or conveyors to transfer them to the next stage of processing.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task
Homogenize or pasteurize material to prevent separation or to obtain prescribed butterfat content, using a homogenizing device.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task
Grade food products according to government regulations or according to type, color, bouquet, and moisture content.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task · Seen in real AI use
Operate refining machines to reduce the particle size of cooked batches.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task
Inspect and pack the final product.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task

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Questions about food batchmakers and AI

Will AI replace food batchmakers?

Unlikely. Most of the work is hard for today's AI to speed up. Food Batchmakers score 12 out of 100 (low exposure), #729 of 923 US jobs. AI could speed up 3 of the job's 25 tasks, 2 of them on its own, while 22 see little or no speed-up. Exposure means the work is likely to change, not that the job will disappear.

Which food batchmakers tasks can AI do?

The most exposed tasks include "Record production and test data for each food product batch, such as the ingredients used, temperature, test results, and time cycle"; "Determine mixing sequences, based on knowledge of temperature effects and of the solubility of specific ingredients".

Which food batchmakers tasks are hardest for AI?

Tasks with little or no AI speed-up include "Clean and sterilize vats and factory processing areas"; "Set up, operate, and tend equipment that cooks, mixes, blends, or processes ingredients in the manufacturing of food products, according to formulas or recipes"; "Mix or blend ingredients, according to recipes, using a paddle or an agitator, or by controlling vats that heat and mix ingredients".

Are people already using AI for this work?

Yes. In April–May 2026, 2 of the 25 tasks showed up in real conversations with Claude, according to the Anthropic Economic Index.

How many people work as food batchmakers, and what do they earn?

About 174,520 people in the US, with median pay of $42,290 a year (BLS, May 2025).

How to read this score. Exposure measures how much of the work AI could speed up, not whether the job will disappear. A highly exposed job can change shape, with people spending less time on routine tasks and more on the rest. The score counts tasks AI can speed up on its own in full, and tasks that need extra software at half weight.

The ratings come from published research based on GPT-4 (2023). To show what's happening now, each task is also checked against the latest Anthropic Economic Index, which records which tasks people actually use AI for. That data is refreshed automatically when Anthropic publishes a new release. Read the full method.