Select materials or props.

Select materials or props. is a detailed work activity in O*NET — a concrete unit of work shared across 11 occupations and seen in 14 occupation-specific tasks. It rolls up into the broader work activity Select materials or equipment for operations or projects. in Making Decisions and Solving Problems .

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 14 tasks under this activity that the OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rated, 8 (57%) 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 3 of these tasks, with a mean mapped-usage share of 0.003% 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.

• Select materials for use based on strength, color, texture, balance, weight, size, malleability and other characteristics. · Craft Artists · importance 4.9 · no direct exposure
• Select flora and foliage for arrangements, working with numerous combinations to synthesize and develop new creations. · Floral Designers · importance 4.5 · exposure with tools
• Prepare for recording sessions by performing such activities as selecting and setting up microphones. · Sound Engineering Technicians · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Assemble studio sets and select and arrange cameras, film stock, audio, or lighting equipment to be used during filming. · Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Select and assemble equipment and required background properties, according to subjects, materials, and conditions. · Photographers · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Select set props, such as furniture, pictures, lamps, and rugs. · Set and Exhibit Designers · importance 4.2 · exposure with tools
• Select materials and production techniques to be used for products. · Fashion Designers · importance 4.1 · exposure with tools
• Select or design, and purchase furnishings, art work, and accessories. · Interior Designers · importance 4.0 · exposure with tools
• Identify and approve equipment and elements required for productions, such as scenery, lights, props, costumes, choreography, and music. · Producers and Directors · importance 3.9 · exposure with tools
• Select themes, lighting, colors, or props to be used. · Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers · importance 3.8 · exposure with tools
• Develop visual aids and charts for use in lectures or to present evidence in court. · Photographers · importance 3.7 · exposure with tools
• Select, acquire, and maintain programs, music, films, and other needed materials and obtain legal clearances for their use as necessary. · Media Programming Directors · importance 3.6 · exposure with tools
• Select and purchase lumber and hardware necessary for set construction. · Set and Exhibit Designers · importance 3.5 · no direct exposure
• Select, acquire, store, and issue equipment and other materials as necessary. · Coaches and Scouts · importance 3.4 · no direct exposure

Occupations that perform this

• Craft Artists
• Floral Designers
• Sound Engineering Technicians
• Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film
• Photographers
• Set and Exhibit Designers
• Fashion Designers
• Interior Designers
• Producers and Directors
• Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers
• Coaches and Scouts

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-select-materials-or-props,
  title  = {Select materials or props.},
  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/select-materials-or-props}
}