ISCO-08 4223
Telephone switchboard operators
82.9%
ADI · 100th of 433 · 95% interval 68.3–94.4
An AI agent can at least partly carry out 82.9% of the task time of telephone switchboard operators, and finish 26.4% alone. The barrier that holds most of the rest back is access to the systems the work runs on.
ADI · partial or full82.9%
100th of 433 · interval 68.3–94.4
ADI3 · full delegation26.4%
13th of 433 · interval 12.4–41.5
ADIs · share of time65.1%
27th of 433 · interval 59.0–71.0
Evidence33
task statements rated by two models and weighted by importance and frequency. World employment: 0.3 million.
Task weight by level
How the tasks rate
L0No meaningful role · 2.8%L1Augmentation · 14.4%L2Partial delegation · 56.5%L3Full delegation · 26.4%
Barriers
What stops the agent
Share of task weight flagged by each barrier; a task can carry several.
33 task statements, heaviest first
| Task statement (O*NET occupation) | Sonnet · Haiku | Barriers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Observe signal lights on switchboards, and dial or press buttons to make connections.Telephone Operators | 5.2% | L2 | L3L2 | 70% | 2 min | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Operate telephone switchboards and systems to advance and complete connections, including those for local, long distance, pay telephone, mobile, person-to-person, and emergency calls.Telephone Operators | 4.9% | L2 | L2L2 | 60% | 3 min | Accountability, Access to systems |
| Operate paging systems or other systems of bells or buzzers to notify recipients of incoming calls.Telephone Operators · supplemental task | 4.8% | L1 | L3L1 | 55% | 2 min | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Listen to customer requests, referring to alphabetical or geographical directories to answer questions and provide telephone information.Telephone Operators | 4.3% | L3 | L3L3 | 90% | 4 min | – |
| Suggest and check alternate spellings, locations, or listing formats to customers lacking details or complete information.Telephone Operators | 4.1% | L2 | L3L2 | 78% | 3 min | Access to systems |
| Perform clerical duties such as typing, proofreading, and sorting mail.Telephone Operators | 3.8% | L2 | L2L2 | 60% | 1.0 h | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Monitor automated systems for placing collect calls and intervene for a callers needing assistance.Telephone Operators · supplemental task | 3.6% | L2 | L2L2 | 60% | 20 min | Trust and care, Access to systems |
| Answer incoming calls, greeting callers, providing information, transferring calls or taking messages as necessary.Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service | 3.6% | L3 | L3L3 | 85% | 4 min | Access to systems |
| Operate communication systems, such as telephone, switchboard, intercom, two-way radio, or public address.Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service | 3.5% | L2 | L2L2 | 60% | 10 min | Physical presence, Trust and care, Access to systems |
| Keep records of calls placed and received, and of related toll charges.Telephone Operators · supplemental task | 3.3% | L3 | L3L3 | 88% | 10 min | Access to systems |
| Greet visitors, log them in and out of the facility, assign them security badges, and contact employee escorts.Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service | 3.3% | L1 | L1L2 | 32% | 5 min | Physical presence, Accountability, Trust and care, Access to systems |
| Offer special assistance to persons such as those who are unable to dial or who are in emergency situations.Telephone Operators | 3.2% | L2 | L2L2 | 42% | 8 min | Accountability, Trust and care, Access to systems |
| Contact security staff members when necessary, using radio-telephones.Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service · supplemental task | 3.1% | L1 | L2L1 | 40% | 2 min | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Page individuals to inform them of telephone calls, using paging or interoffice communication equipment.Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service | 3.0% | L2 | L2L3 | 78% | 2 min | Access to systems |
| Update directory information.Telephone Operators | 2.9% | L2 | L3L2 | 72% | 12 min | Access to systems |
Show the other 18 tasks
| Task statement (O*NET occupation) | Sonnet · Haiku | Barriers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Promote company products, services, and savings plans when appropriate.Telephone Operators · supplemental task | 2.9% | L2 | L2L2 | 52% | 4 min | Accountability, Trust and care, Access to systems |
| Provide assistance for customers with special billing requests.Telephone Operators · supplemental task | 2.9% | L2 | L2L2 | 62% | 11 min | Access to systems |
| Relay or route written or verbal messages.Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service | 2.9% | L3 | L3L3 | 82% | 3 min | Access to systems |
| Answer simple questions about clients' businesses, using reference files.Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service · supplemental task | 2.8% | L3 | L3L3 | 88% | 4 min | – |
| Interrupt busy lines if an emergency warrants.Telephone Operators · supplemental task | 2.8% | L0 | L1L0 | 10% | 2 min | Physical presence, Accountability, Access to systems |
| Record messages, suggesting rewording for clarity or conciseness.Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service | 2.7% | L2 | L2L3 | 75% | 4 min | Access to systems |
| Place telephone calls or arrange conference calls as instructed.Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service | 2.7% | L2 | L3L2 | 80% | 5 min | Access to systems |
| Stamp messages with time and date and file them appropriately.Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service · supplemental task | 2.7% | L3 | L3L3 | 85% | 2 min | – |
| Monitor alarm systems to ensure that secure conditions are maintained.Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service · supplemental task | 2.6% | L2 | L2L2 | 60% | 4.1 h | Accountability, Trust and care, Access to systems |
| Keep records of calls placed and charges incurred.Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service · supplemental task | 2.6% | L3 | L3L3 | 88% | 10 min | Access to systems |
| Perform various cash handling tasks, such as collecting payments, making bank deposits, or managing petty cash.Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service | 2.5% | L2 | L2L2 | 38% | 30 min | Physical presence, Accountability, Access to systems |
| Perform administrative tasks, such as accepting orders, scheduling appointments or meeting rooms, or sending and receiving faxes.Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service | 2.3% | L2 | L2L2 | 68% | 12 min | Access to systems |
| Perform various data entry or word processing tasks, such as updating phone directories, typing or proofreading documents, or creating schedules.Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service | 2.2% | L3 | L3L3 | 85% | 38 min | Access to systems |
| Monitor emergency and code alarms, make emergency announcements, or route emergency calls to the appropriate location.Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service | 2.1% | L2 | L2L2 | 48% | 4 min | Physical presence, Accountability, Trust and care, Access to systems |
| Complete forms for sales orders.Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service · supplemental task | 2.1% | L3 | L3L3 | 85% | 8 min | Access to systems |
| Process incoming or outgoing mail, packages, or deliveries.Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service | 1.9% | L1 | L1L2 | 30% | 10 min | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Place orders, such as for equipment, supplies, or catering for meetings.Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service · supplemental task | 1.5% | L2 | L2L3 | 78% | 25 min | Access to systems |
| Provide relay service for users who are deaf or hard of hearing.Telephone Operators · supplemental task | 1.3% | L1 | L2L1 | 48% | 10 min | Accountability, Trust and care, Access to systems |
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) | 82.9% | 77 | |
| Eloundou et al. (2024), GPT exposure β | 0.775 | 96 | |
| Felten et al. (2021), AI occupational exposure | 1.001 | 77 | |
| Webb (2020), AI patent exposure | 35 | 26 | |
| Eisfeldt et al. (2026), generative AI exposure | 0.453 | 84 | |
| Anthropic Economic Index, observed use | 0.193 | 84 |
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 (42)
Neighbouring occupations
| Occupation | ADI | % |
|---|---|---|
| Client information workers not elsewhere classified 4229 | 100.0 | |
| Debt-collectors and related workers 4214 | 95.8 | |
| Contact centre information clerks 4222 | 95.4 | |
| Enquiry clerks 4225 | 92.9 | |
| Survey and market research interviewers 4227 | 87.9 | |
| Travel consultants and clerks 4221 | 85.4 | |
| Receptionists (general) 4226 | 82.3 | |
| Hotel receptionists 4224 | 71.5 | |
| Pawnbrokers and money-lenders 4213 | 57.0 | |
| Bank tellers and related clerks 4211 | 51.2 | |
| Bookmakers, croupiers and related gaming workers 4212 | 24.0 |
Dashed line: telephone switchboard operators (82.9%).
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: Telephone switchboard operators (ISCO-08 4223), https://balamlabs.org/adi/occupations/4223
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: Telephone switchboard operators (ISCO-08 4223)}
}Machine-readable
The same record as static JSON, with its citation: /adi/v2026.1/isco/4223.json.