Web developers and customer service representatives are among 206 detailed occupations now ranked at the highest exposure to AI, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) – part of a new AI exposure classification released alongside its 2025-35 employment projections.
The classification shows where AI can assist with or complete more occupational tasks relative to other occupations, not which jobs will disappear.
How the BLS measured relative AI exposure
BLS built the ranking from five external data sources. Three estimate theoretical exposure by comparing AI capabilities with occupational tasks or abilities, while two use observed activity from Anthropic’s Claude and Microsoft Copilot mapped to occupational tasks or work activities. BLS then grouped occupations into low, moderate, high and very high relative exposure.
Distinguishing AI from other automation trends
The distinction between AI exposure and employment outcomes becomes important when the exposure data are read beside the agency’s job projections. Word processors and typists are projected to decline 34% by 2035, telephone operators nearly 28%, switchboard operators 26% and data entry keyers 26%. But BLS does not attribute all four declines simply to AI.
Its occupational-utilization analysis says telephone and switchboard jobs are projected to lose share as companies use automated phone systems. Word-processing jobs face both substitution by other workers and machine-learning automation, while data-entry work is being replaced by a mix of AI, machine learning, mobile data capture and optical character recognition.
Diverging paths for highly exposed roles
The contrast is visible in individual occupations. The agency lists customer service representatives and web developers among occupations with very high AI exposure. Customer service employment is projected to fall 5%, or 141,800 jobs, through 2035, while web developer employment is projected to grow nearly 4%.
Across office and administrative support occupations, BLS projects employment falling 4% and shedding 752,100 jobs, the largest decline of any major occupational group. The agency says continued use of automation, including AI, is expected to reduce demand across several office roles. For customer service representatives, BLS says advances in speech and language processing and AI are expected to let computers handle more interactions.
Where AI adoption is boosting demand
BLS also expects AI adoption to support demand elsewhere. Computer and mathematical occupations are projected to grow 7%, more than twice the close to 4% rate for all occupations. BLS projects data scientist employment rising 35% and computer and information research scientist employment nearly 22%, with demand for AI systems among the drivers.
Data limitations and future updates
BLS says its exposure categories do not distinguish automation from augmentation and should not be read as forecasts of employment, wages, productivity, AI adoption or worker replacement. The agency plans to update its employment projections annually, with the 2026-36 projections due in 2027.