Develop technical methods or processes.

Develop technical methods or processes. is a detailed work activity in O*NET — a concrete unit of work shared across 16 occupations and seen in 26 occupation-specific tasks. It rolls up into the broader work activity Develop operational or technical procedures or standards. 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 26 tasks under this activity that the OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rated, 24 (92%) 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 0.007% 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.

• Identify opportunities or implement changes to improve manufacturing processes or products or to reduce costs, using knowledge of fabrication processes, tooling and production equipment, assembly methods, quality control standards, or product design, materials and parts. · Manufacturing Engineers · importance 4.2 · exposure with tools
• Design or evaluate human work systems, using human factors engineering and ergonomic principles to optimize usability, cost, quality, safety, or performance. · Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists · importance 4.2 · exposure with tools
• Monitor production rates, and plan rework processes to improve production. · Petroleum Engineers · importance 4.1 · exposure with tools
• Develop site-specific health and safety protocols, such as spill contingency plans or methods for loading or transporting waste. · Environmental Engineers · importance 3.8 · exposure with tools
• Identify design alternatives for the development of new water resources. · Water/Wastewater Engineers · importance 3.8 · exposure with tools
• Develop or implement operating methods or procedures. · Automotive Engineers · importance 3.7 · exposure with tools
• Develop process flows, work instructions, or standard operating procedures for radio frequency identification device (RFID) systems. · Radio Frequency Identification Device Specialists · importance 3.7 · direct LLM exposure
• Assist engineers in the development of new products, fixtures, tools, or processes. · Photonics Technicians · importance 3.6 · exposure with tools
• Select or devise materials-handling methods and equipment to transport ore, waste materials, and mineral products efficiently and economically. · Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers · importance 3.6 · exposure with tools
• Develop electronic, mechanical, or computerized processes to perform tasks in dangerous situations, such as underwater exploration or extraterrestrial mining. · Mechatronics Engineers · importance 3.6 · exposure with tools
• Identify environmental risks and develop risk management strategies for civil engineering projects. · Civil Engineers · importance 3.6 · exposure with tools
• Develop processes or identify equipment needed for pilot or commercial nanoscale scale production. · Nanosystems Engineers · importance 3.6 · exposure with tools
• Develop methodologies for transferring procedures or biological processes from laboratories to commercial-scale manufacturing production. · Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers · importance 3.5 · exposure with tools
• Establish and maintain inventory, records, or documentation systems. · Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians · importance 3.5 · exposure with tools
• Develop or validate specialized materials characterization procedures, such as thermal withstand, fatigue, notch sensitivity, abrasion, or hardness tests. · Microsystems Engineers · importance 3.5 · no direct exposure
• Develop manufacturing methods, labor utilization standards, and cost analysis systems to promote efficient staff and facility utilization. · Industrial Engineers · importance 3.5 · exposure with tools
• Engineer production processes for specific nanotechnology applications, such as electroplating, nanofabrication, or epoxy. · Nanosystems Engineers · importance 3.5 · no direct exposure
• Develop processes to separate components of liquids or gases or generate electrical currents, using controlled chemical processes. · Chemical Engineers · importance 3.4 · direct LLM exposure
• Prepare plans to intercept foreign communications transmissions. · Intelligence Analysts · importance 3.1 · exposure with tools
• Develop or evaluate systems or methods of hydrogen storage for fuel cell applications. · Fuel Cell Engineers · importance 2.9 · exposure with tools
• Develop or implement engineering solutions to clean up industrial accidents or other contaminated sites. · Civil Engineers · importance 2.9 · 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
• Develop new calibration methods or techniques based on measurement science, analyses, or calibration requirements. · Calibration Technologists and Technicians · direct LLM exposure
• Develop or implement programs to address problems related to production, materials, safety, or quality. · Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians · exposure with tools
• Develop production, inventory, or quality assurance programs. · Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians · exposure with tools
• Identify or develop reverse-engineering tools to improve system capabilities or detect vulnerabilities. · Digital Forensics Analysts · direct LLM exposure

Occupations that perform this

• Manufacturing Engineers
• Petroleum Engineers
• Environmental Engineers
• Water/Wastewater Engineers
• Automotive Engineers
• Radio Frequency Identification Device Specialists
• Photonics Technicians
• Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers
• Mechatronics Engineers
• Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers
• Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians
• Chemical Engineers
• Intelligence Analysts
• Digital Forensics Analysts
• Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians
• Calibration 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-develop-technical-methods-or-processes,
  title  = {Develop technical methods or processes.},
  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/develop-technical-methods-or-processes}
}