ISCO-08 3431
Photographers
36.2%
ADI · 224th of 433 · 95% interval 18.4–56.4
An AI agent can at least partly carry out 36.2% of the task time of photographers, and finish 2.2% alone. Most of the rest requires physical presence.
ADI · partial or full36.2%
224th of 433 · interval 18.4–56.4
ADI3 · full delegation2.2%
117th of 433 · interval 0.0–7.8
ADIs · share of time37.7%
205th of 433 · interval 27.0–48.7
Evidence28
task statements rated by two models and weighted by importance and frequency. World employment: 0.9 million.
Task weight by level
How the tasks rate
L0No meaningful role · 32.5%L1Augmentation · 31.3%L2Partial delegation · 34.0%L3Full delegation · 2.2%
Barriers
What stops the agent
Share of task weight flagged by each barrier; a task can carry several.
28 task statements, heaviest first
| Task statement (O*NET occupation) | Sonnet · Haiku | Barriers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adjust apertures, shutter speeds, and camera focus according to a combination of factors, such as lighting, field depth, subject motion, film type, and film speed.Photographers | 6.1% | L1 | L1L2 | 25% | 4 min | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Use traditional or digital cameras, along with a variety of equipment, such as tripods, filters, and flash attachments.Photographers | 5.8% | L0 | L0L1 | 10% | 1.5 h | Physical presence |
| Create artificial light, using flashes and reflectors.Photographers | 5.7% | L0 | L0L1 | 6% | 25 min | Physical presence |
| Transfer photographs to computers for editing, archiving, and electronic transmission.Photographers | 5.5% | L2 | L2L2 | 78% | 25 min | Physical presence |
| Manipulate and enhance scanned or digital images to create desired effects, using computers and specialized software.Photographers | 5.5% | L2 | L2L3 | 70% | 52 min | – |
| Determine desired images and picture composition, selecting and adjusting subjects, equipment, and lighting to achieve desired effects.Photographers | 5.4% | L1 | L1L1 | 22% | 52 min | Physical presence, Trust and care |
| Perform general office duties, such as scheduling appointments, keeping books, and ordering supplies.Photographers | 5.1% | L2 | L2L3 | 75% | 1.8 h | Access to systems |
| Estimate or measure light levels, distances, and numbers of exposures needed, using measuring devices and formulas.Photographers | 5.1% | L1 | L1L2 | 45% | 20 min | Physical presence |
| Enhance, retouch, and resize photographs and negatives, using airbrushing and other techniques.Photographers | 4.9% | L2 | L2L2 | 70% | 50 min | – |
| Review sets of photographs to select the best work.Photographers | 4.8% | L2 | L2L2 | 68% | 1.5 h | – |
| Take pictures of individuals, families, and small groups, either in studio or on location.Photographers | 4.7% | L0 | L0L1 | 15% | 1.8 h | Physical presence, Trust and care |
| Test equipment prior to use to ensure that it is in good working order.Photographers | 4.5% | L0 | L0L1 | 10% | 25 min | Physical presence |
| Set up, mount, or install photographic equipment and cameras.Photographers | 4.5% | L0 | L0L1 | 10% | 45 min | Physical presence |
| Select and assemble equipment and required background properties, according to subjects, materials, and conditions.Photographers | 4.3% | L1 | L1L2 | 28% | 52 min | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Determine project goals, locations, and equipment needs by studying assignments and consulting with clients or advertising staff.Photographers | 3.6% | L2 | L2L2 | 55% | 2.0 h | Physical presence, Trust and care |
Show the other 13 tasks
| Task statement (O*NET occupation) | Sonnet · Haiku | Barriers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perform maintenance tasks necessary to keep equipment working properly.Photographers | 3.3% | L0 | L0L2 | 18% | 1.0 h | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Direct activities of workers setting up photographic equipment.Photographers | 3.0% | L1 | L1L2 | 22% | 30 min | Physical presence, Trust and care |
| Send film to photofinishing laboratories for processing.Photographers · supplemental task | 2.7% | L1 | L1L2 | 30% | 28 min | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Engage in research to develop new photographic procedures and materials.Photographers | 2.3% | L1 | L1L2 | 38% | 22 h | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Write photograph captions.Photographers · supplemental task | 2.2% | L3 | L3L3 | 85% | 15 min | Access to systems |
| Develop visual aids and charts for use in lectures or to present evidence in court.Photographers · supplemental task | 2.1% | L2 | L2L3 | 70% | 3.0 h | Accountability |
| Mount, frame, laminate, or lacquer finished photographs.Photographers | 1.9% | L0 | L0L1 | 8% | 45 min | Physical presence |
| Load and unload film.Photographers · supplemental task | 1.4% | L0 | L0L0 | 0% | 4 min | Physical presence |
| Employ a variety of specialized photographic materials and techniques, including infrared and ultraviolet films, macro photography, photogrammetry and sensitometry.Photographers · supplemental task | 1.4% | L1 | L1L2 | 22% | 3.5 h | Physical presence |
| License the use of photographs through stock photo agencies.Photographers · supplemental task | 1.2% | L2 | L2L2 | 60% | 1.2 h | Access to systems |
| Produce computer-readable, digital images from film, using flatbed scanners and photofinishing laboratories.Photographers · supplemental task | 1.2% | L2 | L2L2 | 32% | 50 min | Physical presence |
| Set up photographic exhibitions for the purpose of displaying and selling work.Photographers · supplemental task | 1.1% | L1 | L1L2 | 35% | 23 h | Physical presence, Trust and care, Access to systems |
| Develop and print exposed film, using chemicals, touch-up tools, and developing and printing equipment.Photographers · supplemental task | 0.7% | L0 | L0L1 | 10% | 1.5 h | Physical presence |
Level: consensus of the two models (the lower level when they disagree). Share: part of the task’s working time an agent could take over. Human time: minutes a competent person needs for one instance, as estimated by the models.
Against other measures
Exposure is not delegation
| Measure | Value | Percentile | Pct |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADI (this index) | 36.2% | 48 | |
| Eloundou et al. (2024), GPT exposure β | 0.411 | 63 | |
| Felten et al. (2021), AI occupational exposure | -0.168 | 46 | |
| Webb (2020), AI patent exposure | 80 | 73 | |
| Eisfeldt et al. (2026), generative AI exposure | 0.052 | 25 | |
| Anthropic Economic Index, observed use | 0.195 | 85 |
Earlier indices measure whether AI can touch a task; ADI measures how much of it an agent can carry out from a goal. – : the source does not cover this occupation.
Same sub-major group (34)
Neighbouring occupations
| Occupation | ADI | % |
|---|---|---|
| Legal and related associate professionals 3411 | 70.3 | |
| Interior designers and decorators 3432 | 68.5 | |
| Religious associate professionals 3413 | 60.0 | |
| Chefs 3434 | 51.7 | |
| Social work associate professionals 3412 | 49.7 | |
| Sports coaches, instructors and officials 3422 | 46.3 | |
| Fitness and recreation instructors and program leaders 3423 | 45.4 | |
| Gallery, museum and library technicians 3433 | 41.5 | |
| Other artistic and cultural associate professionals 3435 | 25.7 | |
| Athletes and sports players 3421 | 0.0 |
Dashed line: photographers (36.2%).
Cite this record
Text
Espinal Maya, Cristian, and Santiago Jiménez Londoño. 2026. ADI v2026.1: Agent Delegability Index data, code and MCP server. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23552918. Record: Photographers (ISCO-08 3431), https://balamlabs.org/adi/occupations/3431
BibTeX
@misc{espinal2026adidata,
title = {{ADI} v2026.1: Agent Delegability Index data, code and {MCP} server},
author = {Espinal Maya, Cristian and Jim{\'e}nez Londo{\~n}o, Santiago},
year = {2026},
publisher = {Zenodo},
version = {v2026.1},
doi = {10.5281/zenodo.23552918},
url = {https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23552918},
note = {Record: Photographers (ISCO-08 3431)}
}Machine-readable
The same record as static JSON, with its citation: /adi/v2026.1/isco/3431.json.