ISCO-08 7131
Painters and related workers
11.4%
ADI · 349th of 433 · 95% interval 2.1–25.1
An AI agent can at least partly carry out 11.4% of the task time of painters and related workers, and finish 0.0% alone. Most of the rest requires physical presence.
ADI · partial or full11.4%
349th of 433 · interval 2.1–25.1
ADI3 · full delegation0.0%
201st of 433 · interval 0.0–0.0
ADIs · share of time11.9%
389th of 433 · interval 5.7–19.8
Evidence37
task statements rated by two models and weighted by importance and frequency. World employment: 8.4 million.
Task weight by level
How the tasks rate
L0No meaningful role · 84.1%L1Augmentation · 4.5%L2Partial delegation · 11.4%L3Full delegation · 0.0%
Barriers
What stops the agent
Share of task weight flagged by each barrier; a task can carry several.
37 task statements, heaviest first
| Task statement (O*NET occupation) | Sonnet · Haiku | Barriers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cover surfaces with dropcloths or masking tape and paper to protect surfaces during painting.Painters, Construction and Maintenance | 4.7% | L0 | L0L0 | 4% | 38 min | Physical presence |
| Fill cracks, holes, or joints with caulk, putty, plaster, or other fillers, using caulking guns or putty knives.Painters, Construction and Maintenance | 4.7% | L0 | L0L1 | 6% | 45 min | Physical presence |
| Apply paint, stain, varnish, enamel, or other finishes to equipment, buildings, bridges, or other structures, using brushes, spray guns, or rollers.Painters, Construction and Maintenance | 4.6% | L0 | L0L1 | 8% | 3.0 h | Physical presence, Accountability, Access to systems |
| Read work orders or receive instructions from supervisors or homeowners to determine work requirements.Painters, Construction and Maintenance | 4.4% | L2 | L2L2 | 65% | 20 min | Trust and care, Access to systems |
| Smooth surfaces, using sandpaper, scrapers, brushes, steel wool, or sanding machines.Painters, Construction and Maintenance | 4.2% | L0 | L0L0 | 2% | 1.3 h | Physical presence |
| Smooth strips or sections of paper with brushes or rollers to remove wrinkles and bubbles and to smooth joints.Paperhangers | 3.5% | L0 | L0L0 | 0% | 18 min | Physical presence |
| Erect scaffolding or swing gates, or set up ladders, to work above ground level.Painters, Construction and Maintenance | 3.5% | L0 | L0L1 | 6% | 45 min | Physical presence, Accountability, Access to systems |
| Apply primers or sealers to prepare new surfaces, such as bare wood or metal, for finish coats.Painters, Construction and Maintenance | 3.4% | L0 | L0L1 | 8% | 1.5 h | Physical presence |
| Trim excess material at ceilings or baseboards, using knives.Paperhangers | 3.4% | L0 | L0L0 | 0% | 28 min | Physical presence |
| Check finished wallcoverings for proper alignment, pattern matching, and neatness of seams.Paperhangers | 3.2% | L1 | L1L1 | 15% | 18 min | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Place strips or sections of paper on surfaces, aligning section edges and patterns.Paperhangers | 3.1% | L0 | L0L0 | 2% | 1.1 h | Physical presence |
| Measure and cut strips from rolls of wallpaper or fabric, using shears or razors.Paperhangers | 3.1% | L0 | L0L1 | 8% | 20 min | Physical presence |
| Trim rough edges from strips, using straightedges and trimming knives.Paperhangers | 3.0% | L0 | L0L0 | 1% | 16 min | Physical presence |
| Cover interior walls and ceilings of rooms with decorative wallpaper or fabric, using hand tools.Paperhangers | 2.9% | L0 | L0L1 | 9% | 4.5 h | Physical presence |
| Apply adhesives to the backs of paper strips, using brushes, or dunk strips of prepasted wallcovering in water, wiping off any excess adhesive.Paperhangers | 2.8% | L0 | L0L0 | 0% | 6 min | Physical presence |
Show the other 22 tasks
| Task statement (O*NET occupation) | Sonnet · Haiku | Barriers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark vertical guidelines on walls to align strips, using plumb bobs and chalk lines.Paperhangers | 2.8% | L0 | L0L0 | 4% | 18 min | Physical presence |
| Wash and treat surfaces with oil, turpentine, mildew remover, or other preparations, and sand rough spots to ensure that finishes will adhere properly.Painters, Construction and Maintenance | 2.7% | L0 | L0L0 | 4% | 1.4 h | Physical presence |
| Remove fixtures such as pictures, door knobs, lamps, or electric switch covers prior to painting.Painters, Construction and Maintenance | 2.7% | L0 | L0L1 | 6% | 28 min | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Fill holes, cracks, and other surface imperfections preparatory to covering surfaces.Paperhangers | 2.6% | L0 | L0L0 | 4% | 52 min | Physical presence |
| Smooth rough spots on walls and ceilings, using sandpaper.Paperhangers | 2.5% | L0 | L0L0 | 2% | 38 min | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Calculate amounts of required materials and estimate costs, based on surface measurements or work orders.Painters, Construction and Maintenance | 2.5% | L2 | L2L3 | 78% | 45 min | Access to systems |
| Measure surfaces or review work orders to estimate the quantities of materials needed.Paperhangers | 2.4% | L2 | L2L2 | 48% | 45 min | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Apply sizing to seal surfaces and maximize adhesion of coverings to surfaces.Paperhangers | 2.3% | L0 | L0L0 | 4% | 45 min | Physical presence |
| Set up equipment, such as pasteboards and scaffolds.Paperhangers | 2.3% | L0 | L0L0 | 2% | 38 min | Physical presence, Accountability, Access to systems |
| Apply thinned glue to waterproof porous surfaces, using brushes, rollers, or pasting machines.Paperhangers | 2.1% | L0 | L0L0 | 2% | 30 min | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Select and purchase tools or finishes for surfaces to be covered, considering durability, ease of handling, methods of application, and customers' wishes.Painters, Construction and Maintenance | 2.1% | L2 | L2L2 | 65% | 1.0 h | Trust and care, Access to systems |
| Polish final coats to specified finishes.Painters, Construction and Maintenance · supplemental task | 2.0% | L0 | L0L0 | 4% | 1.8 h | Physical presence |
| Remove old paper, using water, steam machines, or solvents and scrapers.Paperhangers | 1.9% | L0 | L0L0 | 4% | 2.0 h | Physical presence |
| Waterproof buildings, using waterproofers or caulking.Painters, Construction and Maintenance | 1.9% | L0 | L0L1 | 6% | 3.0 h | Physical presence, Accountability, Access to systems |
| Remove old finishes by stripping, sanding, wire brushing, burning, or using water or abrasive blasting.Painters, Construction and Maintenance | 1.9% | L0 | L0L1 | 8% | 3.0 h | Physical presence, Accountability |
| Mix and match colors of paint, stain, or varnish with oil or thinning and drying additives to obtain desired colors and consistencies.Painters, Construction and Maintenance | 1.8% | L0 | L0L1 | 15% | 18 min | Physical presence |
| Staple or tack advertising posters onto fences, walls, billboards, or poles.Paperhangers · supplemental task | 1.8% | L0 | L0L0 | 4% | 18 min | Physical presence |
| Mix paste, using paste powder and water, and brush paste onto surfaces.Paperhangers | 1.8% | L0 | L0L0 | 2% | 15 min | Physical presence |
| Use special finishing techniques such as sponging, ragging, layering, or faux finishing.Painters, Construction and Maintenance | 1.5% | L0 | L0L1 | 9% | 2.3 h | Physical presence |
| Remove paint, varnish, dirt, and grease from surfaces, using paint remover and water soda solutions.Paperhangers · supplemental task | 1.3% | L0 | L0L0 | 4% | 1.8 h | Physical presence |
| Cut stencils and brush or spray lettering or decorations on surfaces.Painters, Construction and Maintenance · supplemental task | 1.3% | L1 | L1L2 | 22% | 1.8 h | Physical presence |
| Apply acetic acid to damp plaster to prevent lime from bleeding through paper.Paperhangers · supplemental task | 1.1% | L0 | L0L0 | 4% | 38 min | Physical presence, 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) | 11.4% | 20 | |
| Eloundou et al. (2024), GPT exposure β | 0.038 | 5 | |
| Felten et al. (2021), AI occupational exposure | -1.658 | 2 | |
| Webb (2020), AI patent exposure | 40 | 29 | |
| Eisfeldt et al. (2026), generative AI exposure | 0.013 | 12 | |
| Anthropic Economic Index, observed use | 0 | 16 |
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 (71)
Neighbouring occupations
| Occupation | ADI | % |
|---|---|---|
| House builders 7111 | 77.9 | |
| Air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics 7127 | 25.4 | |
| Carpenters and joiners 7115 | 21.9 | |
| Insulation workers 7124 | 20.6 | |
| Building frame and related trades workers not elsewhere classified 7119 | 16.1 | |
| Glaziers 7125 | 12.4 | |
| Plumbers and pipe fitters 7126 | 11.5 | |
| Building structure cleaners 7133 | 7.5 | |
| Floor layers and tile setters 7122 | 6.4 | |
| Bricklayers and related workers 7112 | 5.2 | |
| Roofers 7121 | 5.1 | |
| Plasterers 7123 | 4.3 |
Dashed line: painters and related workers (11.4%).
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: Painters and related workers (ISCO-08 7131), https://balamlabs.org/adi/occupations/7131
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: Painters and related workers (ISCO-08 7131)}
}Machine-readable
The same record as static JSON, with its citation: /adi/v2026.1/isco/7131.json.