Identify hair problems, using microscopes and testing devices, or by sending clients' hair samples out to independent laboratories for analysis.

“Identify hair problems, using microscopes and testing devices, or by sending clients' hair samples out to independent laboratories for analysis.” is a supplemental task performed by Barbers. Among the occupation's 20 rated tasks, workers place it 2nd by importance (#19 most important).

This is a single occupation-specific task statement from O*NET. The figures below describe how central the task is to the job and what independent studies measure about AI and this kind of work — not a prediction that the task will be automated.

AI exposure

The OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rates this task E2. Exposure with tools — software built on top of a language model (not the model alone) could cut the time by at least half.

Exposure measures whether a model could meaningfully speed the task up — it is an estimate of overlap with model capabilities, not a measure of whether the work will be done by software. The study's intermediate score (β) for this task is 0.50. Automation potential label: T1.

Other tasks in this occupation

• Clean and sterilize scissors, combs, clippers, and other instruments. · importance 4.9
• Cut and trim hair according to clients' instructions or current hairstyles, using clippers, combs, hand-held blow driers, and scissors. · importance 4.9
• Drape and pin protective cloths around customers' shoulders. · importance 4.9
• Question patrons regarding desired services and haircut styles. · importance 4.8
• Clean work stations and sweep floors. · importance 4.7
• Apply lather and shave beards or neck and temple hair contours, using razors. · importance 4.4
• Record services provided on cashiers' tickets or receive payment from customers. · importance 4.2
• Shape and trim beards and moustaches, using scissors. · importance 4.2
• Perform clerical and administrative duties such as keeping records, paying bills, and hiring and supervising personnel. · importance 4.1
• Stay informed of the latest styles and hair care techniques. · importance 3.8
• Suggest treatments to alleviate hair problems. · importance 3.7
• Order supplies. · importance 3.6
• Provide skin care and nail treatments. · importance 3.3
• Shampoo hair. · importance 3.3

See all tasks on the Barbers page.

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-task-8068,
  title  = {Identify hair problems, using microscopes and testing devices, or by sending clients' hair samples out to independent laboratories for analysis.},
  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/tasks/task-8068}
}