Engineering & ArchitectureO*NET: 17-2112.01
Will AI Replace Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists?
Design objects, facilities, and environments to optimize human well-being and overall system performance, applying theory, principles, and data regarding the relationship between humans and respective technology. Investigate and analyze characteristics of human behavior and performance as it relates to the use of technology.
45out of 100
Medium Risk
AI Risk Score
45/100
Risk Level
Medium
Job Zone
5/5
Advanced
Total Tasks Analyzed
26
🤖 What AI Can Do
- â–¸Collect data through direct observation of work activities or witnessing the conduct of tests.
- â–¸Conduct interviews or surveys of users or customers to collect information on topics, such as requirements, needs, fatigue, ergonomics, or interfaces.
- â–¸Review health, safety, accident, or worker compensation records to evaluate safety program effectiveness or to identify jobs with high incidence of injury.
- â–¸Write, review, or comment on documents, such as proposals, test plans, or procedures.
- â–¸Provide human factors technical expertise on topics, such as advanced user-interface technology development or the role of human users in automated or autonomous sub-systems in advanced vehicle systems.
- â–¸Develop or implement research methodologies or statistical analysis plans to test and evaluate developmental prototypes used in new products or processes, such as cockpit designs, user workstations, or computerized human models.
👤 What Requires Humans
- â–¸Advocate for end users in collaboration with other professionals, including engineers, designers, managers, or customers.
- â–¸Inspect work sites to identify physical hazards.
- â–¸Provide technical support to clients through activities, such as rearranging workplace fixtures to reduce physical hazards or discomfort or modifying task sequences to reduce cycle time.
- â–¸Establish system operating or training requirements to ensure optimized human-machine interfaces.
- â–¸Design or evaluate human work systems, using human factors engineering and ergonomic principles to optimize usability, cost, quality, safety, or performance.
- â–¸Train users in task techniques or ergonomic principles.
Task Breakdown
🤖AI Can Automate (8)
- Collect data through direct observation of work activities or witnessing the conduct of tests.
- Conduct interviews or surveys of users or customers to collect information on topics, such as requirements, needs, fatigue, ergonomics, or interfaces.
- Review health, safety, accident, or worker compensation records to evaluate safety program effectiveness or to identify jobs with high incidence of injury.
- Write, review, or comment on documents, such as proposals, test plans, or procedures.
- Provide human factors technical expertise on topics, such as advanced user-interface technology development or the role of human users in automated or autonomous sub-systems in advanced vehicle systems.
- Develop or implement research methodologies or statistical analysis plans to test and evaluate developmental prototypes used in new products or processes, such as cockpit designs, user workstations, or computerized human models.
- Perform statistical analyses, such as social network pattern analysis, network modeling, discrete event simulation, agent-based modeling, statistical natural language processing, computational sociology, mathematical optimization, or systems dynamics.
- Apply modeling or quantitative analysis to forecast events, such as human decisions or behaviors, the structure or processes of organizations, or the attitudes or actions of human groups.
👤Requires Humans (10)
- Advocate for end users in collaboration with other professionals, including engineers, designers, managers, or customers.
- Inspect work sites to identify physical hazards.
- Provide technical support to clients through activities, such as rearranging workplace fixtures to reduce physical hazards or discomfort or modifying task sequences to reduce cycle time.
- Establish system operating or training requirements to ensure optimized human-machine interfaces.
- Design or evaluate human work systems, using human factors engineering and ergonomic principles to optimize usability, cost, quality, safety, or performance.
- Train users in task techniques or ergonomic principles.
- Conduct research to evaluate potential solutions related to changes in equipment design, procedures, manpower, personnel, or training.
- Develop or implement human performance research, investigation, or analysis protocols.
- Design cognitive aids, such as procedural storyboards or decision support systems.
- Investigate theoretical or conceptual issues, such as the human design considerations of lunar landers or habitats.
âš¡AI-Assisted (8)
- Prepare reports or presentations summarizing results or conclusions of human factors engineering or ergonomics activities, such as testing, investigation, or validation.
- Recommend workplace changes to improve health and safety, using knowledge of potentially harmful factors, such as heavy loads or repetitive motions.
- Perform functional, task, or anthropometric analysis, using tools, such as checklists, surveys, videotaping, or force measurement.
- Assess the user-interface or usability characteristics of products.
- Integrate human factors requirements into operational hardware.
- Estimate time or resource requirements for ergonomic or human factors research or development projects.
- Analyze complex systems to determine potential for further development, production, interoperability, compatibility, or usefulness in a particular area, such as aviation.
- Operate testing equipment, such as heat stress meters, octave band analyzers, motion analysis equipment, inclinometers, light meters, thermoanemometers, sling psychrometers, or colorimetric detection tubes.
Key Skills Analysis
Reading ComprehensionAI-Vulnerable
Importance: 4.00/5.00
Active Listening
Importance: 4.00/5.00
WritingAI-Vulnerable
Importance: 4.00/5.00
Speaking
Importance: 4.00/5.00
Critical ThinkingAI-Resistant
Importance: 4.00/5.00
Complex Problem SolvingAI-Resistant
Importance: 4.00/5.00
Active LearningAI-Resistant
Importance: 3.75/5.00
Judgment and Decision MakingAI-Resistant
Importance: 3.62/5.00
Systems Evaluation
Importance: 3.62/5.00
MathematicsAI-Vulnerable
Importance: 3.50/5.00
Monitoring
Importance: 3.50/5.00
Social PerceptivenessAI-Resistant
Importance: 3.38/5.00
Science
Importance: 3.25/5.00
Learning Strategies
Importance: 3.25/5.00
Operations AnalysisAI-Vulnerable
Importance: 3.25/5.00
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Frequently Asked Questions
Based on our analysis, Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists have a medium risk of AI replacement with a score of 45/100. While some tasks can be assisted by AI, the core responsibilities require human judgment and skills.
Last updated: 2026-03-28· Data from O*NET 30.2 & Frey/Osborne automation research