Devise research or testing protocols.

Devise research or testing protocols. is a detailed work activity in O*NET — a concrete unit of work shared across 10 occupations and seen in 19 occupation-specific tasks. It rolls up into the broader work activity Develop research plans or methodologies. in Thinking Creatively .

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 19 tasks under this activity that the OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rated, 17 (89%) 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 4 of these tasks, with a mean mapped-usage share of 0.005% 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.

• Design validation study features, such as sampling, testing, or analytical methodologies. · Validation Engineers · importance 3.9 · direct LLM exposure
• Develop or implement human performance research, investigation, or analysis protocols. · Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists · importance 3.8 · exposure with tools
• Prepare validation or performance qualification protocols for new or modified manufacturing processes, systems, or equipment for production of pharmaceuticals, electronics, or other products. · Validation Engineers · importance 3.8 · direct LLM exposure
• Devise testing methods to evaluate the effects of various conditions on particular materials. · Materials Scientists · importance 3.8 · exposure with tools
• Develop or implement research methodologies or statistical analysis plans to test and evaluate developmental prototypes used in new products or processes, such as cockpit designs, user workstations, or computerized human models. · Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists · importance 3.8 · exposure with tools
• Design or conduct tests of new nanotechnology products, processes, or systems. · Nanosystems Engineers · importance 3.8 · exposure with tools
• Develop or use new non-destructive testing methods, such as acoustic emission testing, leak testing, and thermal or infrared testing. · Non-Destructive Testing Specialists · importance 3.8 · no direct exposure
• Develop calibration methodologies, test methodologies, or tools. · Automotive Engineers · importance 3.7 · direct LLM exposure
• Design or implement fuel cell testing or development programs. · Fuel Cell Engineers · importance 3.6 · direct LLM exposure
• Plan or schedule engineering research or development projects involving microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology. · Microsystems Engineers · importance 3.5 · exposure with tools
• Design tests of finished products or process capabilities to establish standards or validate process requirements. · Manufacturing Engineers · importance 3.5 · exposure with tools
• Plan or implement research methodology or procedures to apply principles of electrical theory to engineering projects. · Electrical Engineers · importance 3.5 · direct LLM exposure
• Develop or modify wet chemical or industrial laboratory experimental techniques for nanoscale use. · Nanotechnology Engineering Technologists and Technicians · importance 3.4 · direct LLM exposure
• Design and oversee testing, installation, and repair of marine apparatus and equipment. · Marine Engineers and Naval Architects · importance 3.3 · no direct exposure
• Develop or validate product-specific test protocols, acceptance thresholds, or inspection tools for quality control testing or performance measurement. · Microsystems Engineers · importance 3.1 · exposure with tools
• Formulate sampling procedures and designs and develop forms and instructions for recording, evaluating, and reporting quality and reliability data. · Industrial Engineers · importance 3.1 · exposure with tools
• Determine conditions under which tests are to be conducted, as well as sequences and phases of test operations. · Marine Engineers and Naval Architects · importance 3.1 · exposure with tools
• Plan, conduct, and evaluate nutrigenomic or nutrigenetic research. · Dietitians and Nutritionists · importance 3.1 · exposure with tools
• Design or direct bench or pilot production experiments to determine the scale of production methods that optimize product yield and minimize production costs. · Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers · importance 2.6 · exposure with tools

Occupations that perform this

• Validation Engineers
• Materials Scientists
• Nanosystems Engineers
• Non-Destructive Testing Specialists
• Automotive Engineers
• Electrical Engineers
• Nanotechnology Engineering Technologists and Technicians
• Marine Engineers and Naval Architects
• Dietitians and Nutritionists
• Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers

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-devise-research-or-testing-protocols,
  title  = {Devise research or testing protocols.},
  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/devise-research-or-testing-protocols}
}