Search files, databases or reference materials to obtain needed information.

Search files, databases or reference materials to obtain needed information. is a detailed work activity in O*NET — a concrete unit of work shared across 17 occupations and seen in 20 occupation-specific tasks. It rolls up into the broader work activity Gather information from physical or electronic sources. in Getting Information .

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 20 tasks under this activity that the OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rated, 20 (100%) 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 6 of these tasks, with a mean mapped-usage share of 0.034% 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.

• Enter, update, and retrieve information from teletype networks and computerized data systems regarding such things as wanted persons, stolen property, vehicle registration, and stolen vehicles. · Public Safety Telecommunicators · importance 4.6 · direct LLM exposure
• Perform record checks on past or current licensees, as required by investigations. · Court, Municipal, and License Clerks · importance 4.3 · exposure with tools
• Consult reference books or secure aid of readers to check references with rules of grammar and composition. · Proofreaders and Copy Markers · importance 4.3 · direct LLM exposure
• Listen to customer requests, referring to alphabetical or geographical directories to answer questions and provide telephone information. · Telephone Operators · importance 4.2 · direct LLM exposure
• Consult sources, such as rate books, manuals, or insurance company representatives, to determine specific charges or information such as rules, regulations, or government tax and tariff information. · Billing and Posting Clerks · importance 4.2 · direct LLM exposure
• Search files and contact witnesses, attorneys, or litigants to obtain information for the court. · Court, Municipal, and License Clerks · importance 4.2 · exposure with tools
• Access computerized financial information to answer general questions as well as those related to specific accounts. · Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks · importance 4.2 · exposure with tools
• Find, retrieve, and make copies of information from files in response to requests and deliver information to authorized users. · File Clerks · importance 4.1 · exposure with tools
• Retrieve and examine real estate closing files for accuracy and to ensure that information included is recorded and executed according to regulations. · Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers · importance 4.0 · exposure with tools
• Review files, records, and other documents to obtain information to respond to requests. · Office Clerks, General · importance 3.9 · exposure with tools
• Search for specific sets of stored, typed characters to make changes. · Word Processors and Typists · importance 3.8 · direct LLM exposure
• Enter or retrieve information from structural databases, protein sequence motif databases, mutation databases, genomic databases or gene expression databases. · Bioinformatics Technicians · importance 3.8 · exposure with tools
• Research information in the municipal archives upon request of public officials or private citizens. · Court, Municipal, and License Clerks · importance 3.8 · exposure with tools
• Conduct searches to find needed information, using such sources as the Internet. · Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive · importance 3.7 · direct LLM exposure
• Examine employee files to answer inquiries and provide information for personnel actions. · Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping · importance 3.7 · exposure with tools
• Search employee files to obtain information for authorized persons and organizations, such as credit bureaus and finance companies. · Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping · importance 3.5 · exposure with tools
• Examine city directories and public records to verify residence property ownership, bankruptcies, liens, arrest record, or unpaid taxes of applicants. · Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks · importance 3.4 · exposure with tools
• Review legal publications and perform database searches to identify laws and court decisions relevant to pending cases. · Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants · importance 3.3 · exposure with tools
• Gather cyber intelligence to identify vulnerabilities. · Penetration Testers · direct LLM exposure
• Locate and deliver information or data as requested by customers, such as contractors, government entities, and members of the public. · Hydrologic Technicians · exposure with tools

Occupations that perform this

• Public Safety Telecommunicators
• Court, Municipal, and License Clerks
• Proofreaders and Copy Markers
• Telephone Operators
• Billing and Posting Clerks
• Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
• File Clerks
• Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers
• Office Clerks, General
• Word Processors and Typists
• Bioinformatics Technicians
• Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
• Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping
• Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks
• Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
• Penetration Testers
• Hydrologic 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-search-files-databases-or-reference-materials-to-obtain-needed-information,
  title  = {Search files, databases or reference materials to obtain needed information.},
  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/search-files-databases-or-reference-materials-to-obtain-needed-information}
}