Operate computers or computerized equipment.

Operate computers or computerized equipment. is a detailed work activity in O*NET — a concrete unit of work shared across 14 occupations and seen in 15 occupation-specific tasks. It rolls up into the broader work activity Operate computer systems or computerized equipment. in Working with Computers .

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 15 tasks under this activity that the OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rated, 12 (80%) 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 7 of these tasks, with a mean mapped-usage share of 0.066% 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.

• Operate computers programmed with accounting software to record, store, and analyze information. · Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks · importance 4.8 · direct LLM exposure
• Operate office equipment, such as voice mail messaging systems, and use word processing, spreadsheet, or other software applications to prepare reports, invoices, financial statements, letters, case histories, or medical records. · Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants · importance 4.4 · direct LLM exposure
• Operate various types of equipment, such as computer scanning equipment, addressographs, mimeographs, optical character readers, and bar-code sorters. · Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Use computers, computer-interfaced equipment, robotics or high-technology industrial applications to perform work duties. · Biological Technicians · importance 4.3 · direct LLM exposure
• Import text and art elements, such as electronic clip art or electronic files from photographs that have been scanned or produced with a digital camera, using computer software. · Desktop Publishers · importance 4.3 · exposure with tools
• Use nondisciplinary tools and equipment, such as a computer. · Correctional Officers and Jailers · importance 4.3 · direct LLM exposure
• Use computers for various applications, such as database management or word processing. · Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive · importance 4.2 · direct LLM exposure
• Operate equipment such as computers or audio-visual aids to supplement presentations. · Substitute Teachers, Short-Term · importance 4.1 · direct LLM exposure
• Operate computer-controlled keyboards or voice recognition equipment to direct items according to established routing schemes. · Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service · importance 4.1 · direct LLM exposure
• Transmit work electronically to other locations. · Word Processors and Typists · importance 4.1 · no direct exposure
• Program and use computers to store, process, and analyze data. · Biologists · importance 4.1 · direct LLM exposure
• Perform administrative support tasks, such as proofreading, transcribing handwritten information, or operating calculators or computers to work with pay records, invoices, balance sheets, or other documents. · Receptionists and Information Clerks · importance 4.0 · direct LLM exposure
• Operate scalehouse computers to obtain weight information about incoming shipments such as those from waste haulers. · Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping · importance 3.8 · direct LLM exposure
• Design furniture, using computer-aided drawing programs. · Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters · importance 3.8 · exposure with tools
• Load floppy disks or tapes containing information into system. · Desktop Publishers · importance 3.3 · no direct exposure

Occupations that perform this

• Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
• Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
• Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators
• Biological Technicians
• Desktop Publishers
• Correctional Officers and Jailers
• Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
• Substitute Teachers, Short-Term
• Word Processors and Typists
• Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service
• Biologists
• Receptionists and Information Clerks
• Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping
• Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters

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-operate-computers-or-computerized-equipment,
  title  = {Operate computers or computerized equipment.},
  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/operate-computers-or-computerized-equipment}
}