Anthropologists and Archaeologists

How AI is changing anthropologists and archaeologists work

10 of 20 measurable main tasks for this job show up in real AI-use data, so we rate it Red (lots of AI use) — 50%.

This shows where people already use AI, not whether the job will disappear. How we measure this.

Tasks in this job and recorded AI use

• Formulate general rules that describe and predict the development and behavior of cultures and social institutions (main task) — a lot of recorded AI use
• Write about and present research findings for a variety of specialized and general audiences (main task) — a lot of recorded AI use
• Create data records for use in describing and analyzing social patterns and processes, using photography, videography, and audio recordings (main task) — a lot of recorded AI use
• Organize public exhibits and displays to promote public awareness of diverse and distinctive cultural traditions (main task) — a lot of recorded AI use
• Study archival collections of primary historical sources to help explain the origins and development of cultural patterns (main task) — some recorded AI use
• Plan and direct research to characterize and compare the economic, demographic, health care, social, political, linguistic, and religious institutions of distinct cultural groups, communities, and organizations (main task) — some recorded AI use
• Teach or mentor undergraduate and graduate students in anthropology or archeology (main task) — some recorded AI use
• Develop and test theories concerning the origin and development of past cultures (main task) — some recorded AI use
• Collect information and make judgments through observation, interviews, and review of documents (main task) — some recorded AI use
• Enhance the cultural sensitivity of elementary and secondary curricula and classroom interactions in collaboration with educators and teachers (main task) — some recorded AI use
• Train others in the application of ethnographic research methods to solve problems in organizational effectiveness, communications, technology development, policy making, and program planning (main task) — no recorded AI use
• Identify culturally specific beliefs and practices affecting health status and access to services for distinct populations and communities, in collaboration with medical and public health officials (main task) — no recorded AI use
• Apply traditional ecological knowledge and assessments of culturally distinctive land and resource management institutions to assist in the resolution of conflicts over habitat protection and resource enhancement (main task) — no recorded AI use
• Lead field training sites and train field staff, students, and volunteers in excavation methods (main task) — no recorded AI use
• Conduct participatory action research in communities and organizations to assess how work is done and to design work systems, technologies, and environments (main task) — no recorded AI use
• Research, survey, or assess sites of past societies and cultures in search of answers to specific research questions (main task) — no recorded AI use
• Write grant proposals to obtain funding for research (main task) — no recorded AI use
• Advise government agencies, private organizations, and communities regarding proposed programs, plans, and policies and their potential impacts on cultural institutions, organizations, and communities (main task) — no recorded AI use
• Collaborate with economic development planners to decide on the implementation of proposed development policies, plans, and programs based on culturally institutionalized barriers and facilitating circumstances (main task) — no recorded AI use
• Develop intervention procedures, using techniques such as individual and focus group interviews, consultations, and participant observation of social interaction (main task) — no recorded AI use
• Record the exact locations and conditions of artifacts uncovered in diggings or surveys, using drawings and photographs as necessary — a lot of recorded AI use
• Study objects and structures recovered by excavation to identify, date, and authenticate them and to interpret their significance — some recorded AI use
• Describe artifacts' physical properties or attributes — some recorded AI use
• Compare findings from one site with archeological data from other sites to find similarities or differences — some recorded AI use
• Assess archeological sites for resource management, development, or conservation purposes and recommend methods for site protection — no recorded AI use
• Gather and analyze artifacts and skeletal remains to increase knowledge of ancient cultures — no recorded AI use
• Collect artifacts made of stone, bone, metal, and other materials, placing them in bags and marking them to show where they were found — no recorded AI use
• Consult site reports, existing artifacts, and topographic maps to identify archeological sites — no recorded AI use
• Clean, restore, and preserve artifacts — no recorded AI use
• Participate in forensic activities — no recorded AI use

Tasks: O*NET 31.0. AI use: Anthropic Economic Index (exact or close text match).

Your first steps (guidance)

1. Week 1: Open a free AI assistant and say hello. Follow our “Getting started with AI” guide. Ask it one simple question about your work.
2. Week 2: Use AI on one task you do often. Try the prompt for: “Formulate general rules that describe and predict the development and behavior of cultures and social institutions”. Try the prompt for: “Write about and present research findings for a variety of specialized and general audiences”.

Tick your own tasks above to get a plan based on what you really do. The first 2 weeks are free; Premium (coming soon) adds weeks 3–12. New to AI? Read our beginner’s guide.

Questions about AI and anthropologists and archaeologists

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