Create physical models or prototypes.

Create physical models or prototypes. is a detailed work activity in O*NET — a concrete unit of work shared across 6 occupations and seen in 9 occupation-specific tasks. It rolls up into the broader work activity Develop models of systems, processes, or products. in Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment .

Detailed work activities are the most granular shared layer in O*NET's work-activity hierarchy (Generalized → Intermediate → Detailed → occupation-specific task). The figures below describe how this activity shows up across the economy and what independent studies measure about AI and this kind of work — not a prediction that the work will be automated.

AI exposure

Of the 9 tasks under this activity that the OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rated, 4 (44%) are flagged as directly exposed to language models (E1) or exposed via model-powered tools (E2).

The Anthropic Economic Index observes real AI use on 1 of these tasks, with a mean mapped-usage share of 0.003% per task.

Exposure estimates overlap with model capabilities — whether a model could speed the task up — not whether the work will be done by software. Observed AI use is augmentation and assistance today, not jobs replaced.

Member tasks

Occupation-specific tasks O*NET maps to this detailed work activity, most important first.

• Build, test, and modify product prototypes, using working models or theoretical models constructed with computer simulation. · Computer Hardware Engineers · importance 4.1 · exposure with tools
• Develop or test photonic prototypes or models. · Photonics Engineers · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• Optimize photonic process parameters by making prototype or production devices. · Photonics Technicians · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure
• Create designs or prototypes for nanosystem applications, such as biomedical delivery systems or atomic force microscopes. · Nanosystems Engineers · importance 3.7 · exposure with tools
• Build prototype optomechanical devices for use in equipment such as aerial cameras, gun sights, or telescopes. · Photonics Technicians · importance 3.7 · no direct exposure
• Fabricate prototypes of fuel cell components, assemblies, stacks, or systems. · Fuel Cell Engineers · importance 3.6 · no direct exposure
• Fabricate new or modify existing prototype components or fixtures. · Automotive Engineering Technicians · importance 3.5 · no direct exposure
• Create mechanical models to simulate mechatronic design concepts. · Mechatronics Engineers · importance 3.5 · exposure with tools
• Assist engineers in developing, building, or testing prototypes or new products, processes, or procedures. · Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians · exposure with tools

Occupations that perform this

• Computer Hardware Engineers
• Photonics Engineers
• Photonics Technicians
• Fuel Cell Engineers
• Automotive Engineering Technicians
• Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

• O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
• Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
• “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

@misc{singulariki-create-physical-models-or-prototypes,
  title  = {Create physical models or prototypes.},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/detailed-activities/create-physical-models-or-prototypes}
}