Watch operating equipment to detect malfunctions.

Watch operating equipment to detect malfunctions. is a detailed work activity in O*NET — a concrete unit of work shared across 26 occupations and seen in 27 occupation-specific tasks. It rolls up into the broader work activity Monitor equipment operation. in Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings .

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 27 tasks under this activity that the OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rated, 3 (11%) 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 1 of these tasks, with a mean mapped-usage share of 0.002% 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.

• Patrol work areas to detect leaks or equipment malfunctions or to monitor operating conditions. · Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders · importance 4.6 · no direct exposure
• Monitor machine cycles and mill operation to detect jamming and to ensure that products conform to specifications. · Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · importance 4.6 · no direct exposure
• Listen to machines during operation to detect sounds such as those made by dull cutting tools or excessive vibration, and adjust machines to compensate for problems. · Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Monitor machine operations to detect malfunctions and report or resolve problems. · Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Monitor machine operations to determine whether adjustments are necessary, stopping machines when problems occur. · Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Monitor power plant equipment and indicators to detect evidence of operating problems. · Power Plant Operators · importance 4.5 · exposure with tools
• Note malfunctions of equipment, instruments, or controls and report these conditions to supervisors. · Nuclear Power Reactor Operators · importance 4.5 · exposure with tools
• Observe and listen to equipment to detect possible malfunctions, such as leaks or plugging, and report malfunctions or undesirable tastes to supervisors. · Food Batchmakers · importance 4.5 · no direct exposure
• Observe operation of various machines to detect and correct machine malfunctions such as improper forming, glue flow, or pasteboard tension. · Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · importance 4.4 · no direct exposure
• Monitor machine operations to detect malfunctions or to determine whether adjustments are needed. · Print Binding and Finishing Workers · importance 4.4 · no direct exposure
• Monitor the production line, watching for problems such as pile-ups, jams, or glue that isn't sticking properly. · Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders · importance 4.4 · no direct exposure
• Observe machine operations to detect any problems, making necessary adjustments to correct problems. · Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · importance 4.4 · no direct exposure
• Monitor machine operation to detect problems such as defective stitching, breaks in thread, or machine malfunctions. · Sewing Machine Operators · importance 4.4 · no direct exposure
• Observe flow of materials and listen for machine malfunctions, such as jamming or spillage, and notify supervisors if corrective actions fail. · Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders · importance 4.4 · no direct exposure
• Observe drilling or boring machine operations to detect any problems. · Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Listen for malfunction alarms, and shut down equipment and notify supervisors when necessary. · Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Observe operations inside furnaces, using television screens, to ensure that problems do not occur. · Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders · importance 4.3 · exposure with tools
• Monitor finished cartons as they drop from forming machines into rotating hoppers and into gravity feed chutes to prevent jamming. · Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · importance 4.3 · no direct exposure
• Observe machine operation to detect workpiece defects or machine malfunctions, adjusting machines as necessary. · Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Monitor operation of cutting or slicing machines to detect malfunctions or to determine whether supplies need replenishment. · Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Verify that incoming and outgoing products are moving through the correct meters, and that meters are working properly. · Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Monitor and inspect equipment, computer terminals, switches, valves, gauges, alarms, safety devices, and meters to detect leaks or malfunctions and to ensure that equipment is operating efficiently and safely. · Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators · importance 4.2 · no direct exposure
• Detect faulty operation of equipment or defective materials and notify supervisors. · Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers · importance 4.1 · no direct exposure
• Observe operations to detect defects, malfunctions, or supply shortages. · Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · importance 4.1 · no direct exposure
• Start metering pumps and observe operation of machines and equipment to ensure continuous flow of filaments extruded through spinnerettes and to detect processing defects. · Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure
• Monitor equipment operation to detect malfunctions. · Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators · importance 3.9 · no direct exposure
• Observe equipment operations so that malfunctions can be detected, and notify operators of any malfunctions. · Helpers--Production Workers · importance 3.8 · no direct exposure

Occupations that perform this

• Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders
• Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators
• Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners
• Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders
• Power Plant Operators
• Nuclear Power Reactor Operators
• Food Batchmakers
• Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Print Binding and Finishing Workers
• Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
• Sewing Machine Operators
• Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders
• Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders
• Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders
• Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers
• Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators
• Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
• Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers
• Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators
• Helpers--Production Workers

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-watch-operating-equipment-to-detect-malfunctions,
  title  = {Watch operating equipment to detect malfunctions.},
  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/watch-operating-equipment-to-detect-malfunctions}
}