Posted on August 3, 2025
Maritime jobs were 4 of Top 10 at least risk–out of almost 2,000 job categories!
“AI can’t dredge a river”
DredgeWire Exclusive
According to a July 2025 study by Microsoft Research, amongst a Top 10 List of jobs least affected by AI, Dredge Operators #1!
Maritime-related jobs enjoyed 4 of the top 10 U.S. occupations that are least likely to be negatively impacted by generative AI tools according to this analysis.
The Top 10 list is:
- Dredge Operators
- Bridge and Lock Tenders
- Water Treatment Plant and System Operators
- Foundry Mold and Coremakers
- Rail‑Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
- Pile Driver Operators
- Floor Sanders and Finishers
- Orderlies
- Motorboat Operators
- Logging Equipment Operators
These roles generally involve specialized physical labor or operation of heavy machinery, which are currently outside the scope of generative AI.
The report cited the following reasons why these job categories are at the least risk from AI:
1. They are hands-on with physical complexity: AI cannot operate complex machinery or perform situational manual tasks in real-world environments.
2. They have a low overlap with LLM‑based language models. These jobs rely minimally on language processing or routine decision‑making that AI can handle.
3. These jobs require human adaptability & discretion. Operators often need to deal with unpredictable elements—weather, site conditions, immediate safety decisions—that require human judgment and quick adaptation.
The report didn’t say this, but given the characteristics cited above, one can reasonably conclude these jobs should pay well.
As one story about the report put it, “An AI chatbot is a pretty good interpreter. It can’t dredge a river.”
The job category most at risk from AI was, not surprisingly, interpreters.
Automation v Augmentation
Another way of looking at the issue is whether AI enhanced work outcomes or replaced human roles.
The Washington Post wrote about this issue this week, reviewing the same reports and noted:
“When examining AI’s impact on job markets, some economists try to draw a line between automation and augmentation:
Automation happens when AI systems can independently carry out a task without human input.
Augmentation means AI needs human supervision to complete a task, complementing the human worker.
AI-driven automation leads to lower wages and higher unemployment, AI-driven augmentation increases wages of more experienced workers and creates jobs in new areas.”
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For the full report, see:
