ISCO-08 7316
Sign writers, decorative painters, engravers and etchers
4.4%
ADI · 400th of 433 · 95% interval 0.0–11.7
An AI agent can at least partly carry out 4.4% of the task time of sign writers, decorative painters, engravers and etchers, and finish 0.0% alone. Most of the rest requires physical presence.
ADI · partial or full4.4%
400th of 433 · interval 0.0–11.7
ADI3 · full delegation0.0%
201st of 433 · interval 0.0–0.0
ADIs · share of time12.3%
386th of 433 · interval 7.7–18.9
Evidence35
task statements rated by two models and weighted by importance and frequency. World employment: 2.1 million.
Task weight by level
How the tasks rate
L0No meaningful role · 82.8%L1Augmentation · 12.8%L2Partial delegation · 4.4%L3Full delegation · 0.0%
Barriers
What stops the agent
Share of task weight flagged by each barrier; a task can carry several.
35 task statements, heaviest first
| Task statement (O*NET occupation) | Weight | Level | Sonnet · Haiku | Share | Human time | Barriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apply coatings, such as paint, ink, or lacquer, to protect or decorate workpiece surfaces, using spray guns, pens, or brushes.Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers | 10.2% | L0 | L0L0 | 6% | 1.0 h | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Select and mix ingredients to prepare coating substances according to specifications, using paddles or mechanical mixers.Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers · supplemental task | 8.3% | L0 | L0L1 | 15% | 25 min | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Place coated workpieces in ovens or dryers for specified times to dry or harden finishes.Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers · supplemental task | 7.5% | L0 | L0L0 | 6% | 8 min | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Clean and maintain tools and equipment, using solvents, brushes, and rags.Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers | 7.5% | L0 | L0L1 | 6% | 28 min | Physical presence |
| Examine finished surfaces of workpieces to verify conformance to specifications and retouch any defective areas.Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers | 7.3% | L0 | L0L1 | 10% | 30 min | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Read job orders and inspect workpieces to determine work procedures and materials required.Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers | 7.3% | L1 | L1L2 | 42% | 22 min | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Clean surfaces of workpieces in preparation for coating, using cleaning fluids, solvents, brushes, scrapers, steam, sandpaper, or cloth.Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers · supplemental task | 7.1% | L0 | L0L0 | 4% | 32 min | Physical presence |
| Rinse, drain, or wipe coated workpieces to remove excess coating material or to facilitate setting of finish coats on workpieces.Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers · supplemental task | 6.8% | L0 | L0L0 | 2% | 12 min | Physical presence |
| Conceal blemishes in workpieces, such as nicks and dents, using fillers such as putty.Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers · supplemental task | 4.6% | L0 | L0L1 | 5% | 25 min | Physical presence |
| Adjust depths and sizes of cuts by adjusting heights of worktables, or by adjusting machine-arm gauges.Etchers and Engravers · supplemental task | 1.6% | L0 | L0L0 | 4% | 10 min | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Inspect etched work for depth of etching, uniformity, and defects, using calibrated microscopes, gauges, fingers, or magnifying lenses.Etchers and Engravers | 1.6% | L1 | L1L1 | 15% | 22 min | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Expose workpieces to acid to develop etch patterns such as designs, lettering, or figures.Etchers and Engravers · supplemental task | 1.6% | L0 | L0L1 | 9% | 52 min | Physical presence |
| Prepare workpieces for etching or engraving by cutting, sanding, cleaning, polishing, or treating them with wax, acid resist, lime, etching powder, or light-sensitive enamel.Etchers and Engravers · supplemental task | 1.5% | L0 | L0L0 | 4% | 52 min | Physical presence |
| Use computer software to design patterns for engraving.Etchers and Engravers · supplemental task | 1.5% | L2 | L2L2 | 65% | 2.0 h | – |
| Examine sketches, diagrams, samples, blueprints, or photographs to decide how designs are to be etched, cut, or engraved onto workpieces.Etchers and Engravers | 1.4% | L2 | L2L2 | 55% | 38 min | Physical presence |
Show the other 20 tasks
| Task statement (O*NET occupation) | Weight | Level | Sonnet · Haiku | Share | Human time | Barriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remove completed workpieces and place them in trays.Etchers and Engravers · supplemental task | 1.4% | L0 | L0L0 | 2% | 2 min | Physical presence |
| Measure and compute dimensions of lettering, designs, or patterns to be engraved.Etchers and Engravers · supplemental task | 1.4% | L2 | L2L2 | 60% | 30 min | Physical presence |
| Engrave and print patterns, designs, etchings, trademarks, or lettering onto flat or curved surfaces of a wide variety of metal, glass, plastic, or paper items, using hand tools or hand-held power tools.Etchers and Engravers · supplemental task | 1.4% | L0 | L0L2 | 18% | 1.0 h | Physical presence |
| Determine machine settings, and move bars or levers to reproduce designs on rollers or plates.Etchers and Engravers · supplemental task | 1.4% | L0 | L0L1 | 15% | 1.0 h | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Transfer image to workpiece, using contact printer, pantograph stylus, silkscreen printing device, or stamp pad.Etchers and Engravers · supplemental task | 1.4% | L0 | L0L1 | 6% | 32 min | Physical presence |
| Set reduction scales to attain specified sizes of reproduction on workpieces, and set pantograph controls for required heights, depths, and widths of cuts.Etchers and Engravers · supplemental task | 1.4% | L1 | L1L1 | 18% | 25 min | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Print proofs or examine designs to verify accuracy of engraving, and rework engraving as required.Etchers and Engravers · supplemental task | 1.3% | L1 | L1L1 | 20% | 1.1 h | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Neutralize workpieces to remove acid, wax, or enamel, using water, solvents, brushes, or specialized machines.Etchers and Engravers · supplemental task | 1.3% | L0 | L0L1 | 5% | 20 min | Physical presence |
| Examine engraving for quality of cut, burrs, rough spots, and irregular or incomplete engraving.Etchers and Engravers · supplemental task | 1.3% | L1 | L1L1 | 12% | 15 min | Physical presence |
| Guide stylus over template, causing cutting tool to duplicate design or letters on workpiece.Etchers and Engravers · supplemental task | 1.3% | L0 | L0L0 | 4% | 45 min | Physical presence |
| Position and clamp workpieces, plates, or rollers in holding fixtures.Etchers and Engravers · supplemental task | 1.3% | L0 | L0L0 | 4% | 10 min | Physical presence |
| Start machines and lower cutting tools to beginning points on patterns.Etchers and Engravers · supplemental task | 1.2% | L0 | L0L1 | 9% | 8 min | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Remove wax or tape from etched glassware by using a stylus or knife, or by immersing ware in hot water.Etchers and Engravers · supplemental task | 1.1% | L0 | L0L0 | 2% | 8 min | Physical presence |
| Clean and polish engraved areas.Etchers and Engravers | 1.1% | L0 | L0L0 | 4% | 30 min | Physical presence |
| Sandblast exposed areas of glass to cut designs in surfaces, using spray guns.Etchers and Engravers · supplemental task | 1.1% | L0 | L0L0 | 4% | 52 min | Physical presence |
| Insert cutting tools or bits into machines and secure them with wrenches.Etchers and Engravers · supplemental task | 1.1% | L0 | L0L0 | 2% | 10 min | Physical presence, Access to systems |
| Prepare etching chemicals according to formulas, diluting acid with water to obtain solutions of specified concentration.Etchers and Engravers · supplemental task | 1.1% | L0 | L0L1 | 9% | 22 min | Physical presence, Accountability |
| Sketch, trace, or scribe layout lines and designs on workpieces, plates, dies, or rollers, using compasses, scribers, gravers, or pencils.Etchers and Engravers · supplemental task | 0.9% | L0 | L1L0 | 12% | 52 min | Physical presence |
| Brush or wipe acid over engraving to darken or highlight inscriptions.Etchers and Engravers · supplemental task | 0.8% | L0 | L0L0 | 2% | 15 min | Physical presence |
| Fill etched characters with opaque paste to improve readability.Etchers and Engravers · supplemental task | 0.7% | L0 | L0L0 | 2% | 30 min | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| ADI (this index) | 4.4% | 8 |
| Eloundou et al. (2024), GPT exposure β | 0.047 | 8 |
| Felten et al. (2021), AI occupational exposure | -0.86 | 28 |
| Webb (2020), AI patent exposure | 62 | 55 |
| Eisfeldt et al. (2026), generative AI exposure | 0.011 | 11 |
| 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 (73)
Neighbouring occupations
| Occupation | ADI | % |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-press technicians 7321 | 78.4 | |
| Handicraft workers in wood, basketry and related materials 7317 | 52.2 | |
| Handicraft workers not elsewhere classified 7319 | 52.2 | |
| Printers 7322 | 33.3 | |
| Precision-instrument makers and repairers 7311 | 22.2 | |
| Jewellery and precious-metal workers 7313 | 21.8 | |
| Potters and related workers 7314 | 15.6 | |
| Print finishing and binding workers 7323 | 13.1 | |
| Musical instrument makers and tuners 7312 | 5.5 | |
| Glass makers, cutters, grinders and finishers 7315 | 3.7 | |
| Handicraft workers in textile, leather and related materials 7318 | 0.0 |
Dashed line: sign writers, decorative painters, engravers and etchers (4.4%).
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: Sign writers, decorative painters, engravers and etchers (ISCO-08 7316), https://balamlabs.org/adi/occupations/7316
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: Sign writers, decorative painters, engravers and etchers (ISCO-08 7316)}
}Machine-readable
The same record as static JSON, with its citation: /adi/v2026.1/isco/7316.json.