Direct operational or production activities.

Direct operational or production activities. is a detailed work activity in O*NET — a concrete unit of work shared across 24 occupations and seen in 36 occupation-specific tasks. It rolls up into the broader work activity Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures. in Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates .

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 36 tasks under this activity that the OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rated, 7 (19%) are flagged as directly exposed to language models (E1) or exposed via model-powered tools (E2).

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.

• Direct reactor operators in emergency situations, in accordance with emergency operating procedures. · Nuclear Power Reactor Operators · importance 4.8 · no direct exposure
• Direct personnel engaged in controlling or operating distribution equipment or machinery, such as instructing control room operators to start boilers or generators. · Power Distributors and Dispatchers · importance 4.7 · no direct exposure
• Stop production if serious product defects are present. · Quality Control Systems Managers · importance 4.6 · no direct exposure
• Give directions to other workers who are assisting in the batchmaking process. · Food Batchmakers · importance 4.6 · no direct exposure
• Implement appropriate industrial emergency response procedures. · Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Load articles into washers or dry-cleaning machines, or direct other workers to perform loading. · Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Train or supervise other dental technicians or dental laboratory bench workers. · Dental Laboratory Technicians · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Authorize maintenance activities on units or changes in equipment or system operational status. · Nuclear Power Reactor Operators · importance 4.3 · exposure with tools
• Supervise technicians' work activities to ensure that equipment is operated in accordance with policies and procedures that protect workers from radiation and ensure environmental safety. · Nuclear Power Reactor Operators · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Operate extractors and driers, or direct their operation. · Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Direct workers engaged in operating machinery that regulates the flow of materials and products. · Chemical Plant and System Operators · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Supervise the work of assistant stationary engineers, turbine operators, boiler tenders, or air conditioning and refrigeration operators and mechanics. · Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Remove items from washers or dry-cleaning machines, or direct other workers to do so. · Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Direct or monitor work of press crews. · Printing Press Operators · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Supervise other butchers or meat cutters. · Butchers and Meat Cutters · importance 4.1 · no direct exposure
• Authorize actions to correct identified operational inefficiencies or hazards so that operating efficiency is maximized and potential environmental issues are minimized. · Nuclear Power Reactor Operators · importance 4.1 · exposure with tools
• Coordinate raw product sourcing or collection. · Biofuels Processing Technicians · importance 4.1 · exposure with tools
• Direct and coordinate plant workers engaged in routine operations and maintenance activities. · Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators · importance 4.1 · no direct exposure
• Direct or coordinate bakery deliveries. · Bakers · importance 4.1 · exposure with tools
• Direct and coordinate the activities of employees engaged in the production or processing of goods, such as inspectors, machine setters, or fabricators. · First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• Control workflow scheduling or job tracking, using computer database software. · Printing Press Operators · importance 4.0 · direct LLM exposure
• Direct work crews in the cleaning and repair of furnace walls and flooring. · Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• Direct activities of workers assisting in control or verification of processes or in unloading of materials. · Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• Synchronize activities with other pumphouses to ensure a continuous flow of products and a minimum of contamination between products. · Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers · importance 4.0 · no direct exposure
• Supervise assemblers and train employees on job procedures. · Team Assemblers · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure
• Direct the collection and testing of air, water, gas, or solid samples to determine radioactivity levels or to ensure appropriate radioactive containment. · Nuclear Power Reactor Operators · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure
• Signal or direct workers who tend auxiliary equipment. · Gas Plant Operators · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure
• Supervise the cleaning of towers, strainers, or spray tips. · Chemical Plant and System Operators · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure
• Direct workers on cutting teams. · Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure
• Give directions to other workers regarding machine set-up and use. · Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure
• Direct crane operators and crew members to load vessels with materials to be processed. · Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders · importance 3.8 · no direct exposure
• Direct and train other workers to change rolls, operate mill equipment, remove coils and cobbles, and band and load material. · Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · importance 3.7 · no direct exposure
• Direct measurement of the intensity or types of radiation in work areas, equipment, or materials. · Nuclear Power Reactor Operators · importance 3.7 · no direct exposure
• Direct welders to build up low spots or short pieces with weld. · Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters · importance 3.7 · no direct exposure
• Coordinate shutdowns and major projects. · Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers · importance 3.3 · exposure with tools
• Develop or enforce procedures for normal operation of manufacturing systems. · Industrial Production Managers · exposure with tools

Occupations that perform this

• Nuclear Power Reactor Operators
• Power Distributors and Dispatchers
• Quality Control Systems Managers
• Food Batchmakers
• Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders
• Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers
• Dental Laboratory Technicians
• Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators
• Chemical Plant and System Operators
• Printing Press Operators
• Butchers and Meat Cutters
• Biofuels Processing Technicians
• Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators
• Bakers
• First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers
• Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders
• Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers
• Team Assemblers
• Gas Plant Operators
• Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders
• Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters

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
• “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic

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

@misc{singulariki-direct-operational-or-production-activities,
  title  = {Direct operational or production activities.},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/detailed-activities/direct-operational-or-production-activities}
}