Funeral Directors Among 10 AI-Proof Careers

The rise of AI has sparked intense debate about which jobs are at risk. But a big part of the story, supported by empirical data, is about augmentation, not just automation and replacement. For jobs requiring physical presence, specialized dexterity, or deep human empathy, current AI technology offers minimal assistance, making these roles effectively AI-proof careers and highly resistant to replacement.

According to a new Microsoft Research study, the global tech giant uses an AI Applicability Score (ranging from 0 to 1) to measure how well a job’s activities overlap with current AI chatbot capabilities. A score near 0.00 indicates the job is profoundly safe from automation.

Some of the jobs most at risk with the rise in AI, according to the study: Interpreters and Translators (0.49), Historians (0.48), Customer Service Representatives (0.44).

However, 10 of the most AI-proof occupations share two protective factors: physical labor/technical skill and/or non-digital, empathetic interaction:

1. Dredge Operators (Score: 0.00): These professionals handle specialized heavy machinery in dynamic, real-world aquatic environments. The complexity of operating and troubleshooting physical equipment in an unpredictable setting is non-digital and non-automatable.
2. Bridge and Lock Tenders (Score: 0.00): Operating critical public infrastructure such as ensuring the safe passage of boats through waterways requires real-time decision-making, physical control, and complex judgment that AI is not equipped to manage.
3. Water Treatment Plant Operators (Score: 0.00): Monitoring and regulating complex, physical, and often outdated mechanical systems that handle public health require hands-on maintenance and immediate, non-algorithmic decision-making.
4. Foundry Mold/Coremakers (Score: 0.00): This work relies on manual crafting, forming, and physical manipulation of materials. It is highly specialized, tactile, and requires a level of physical skill AI cannot replicate.
5. Orderlies (Score: 0.00): This job is defined by direct physical interaction and assistance with patients, demanding both strength and a human element of care that is impossible for a remote algorithm to provide.
6. Logging Equipment Operators (Score: 0.01): Operating heavy machinery in complex, natural, and unpredictable terrain requires a high degree of situational awareness and physical control that exceeds current AI systems.
7. Prosthodontists (Score: 0.02): These dentists specialize in the custom design, manufacture, and fitting of oral prosthetics. The work is intensely technical, manual, and requires fine motor skills applied to a unique human body.
8. Embalmer/Funeral Director (Score: 0.03): The highly empathetic and specialized nature of mortuary science and funeral service leadership makes it exceptionally secure. In particular, the embalming aspects of the profession are a key factor in giving the career a near-zero applicability score, confirming that this job is certain to remain fundamentally human.
9. Nursing Assistants (Score: 0.03): Similar to Orderlies, this role centers on intimate, direct physical care, monitoring, and emotional support for patients. The necessity of physical presence and human touch acts as a robust firewall against AI replacement.
10. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (Score: 0.03): This highly complex and invasive surgical field requires years of manual training, precision, and the ability to adapt to biological variables in real time. It remains a domain uniquely suited to human expertise.

 The Takeaway:

The data confirms that while AI is incredibly capable of assisting with information-gathering, written communication, and computational tasks, it hits a wall when faced with human touch, physical dexterity, and human empathy.

For professionals like the Funeral Service Director, AI may serve as a valuable assist in some respects, but the core work of the career will remain a stable, non-negotiable human endeavor.

Learn more: aami.edu