Will AI replace Archivists?

Many of your tasks are within reach of AI. The role will change, so it pays to act now.

Task exposure to today's AI

52/100

High exposure

This is the occupation's typical task mix. Your own score can be up to 30 points higher or lower depending on how you work: routine share, people contact, judgment and how much you already use AI.

Get your personal score

Will AI replace Archivists?

Not entirely. Today's AI tools can take on about 52% of the typical work in this occupation, mostly: prepare archival records, such as document descriptions, to allow easy access to information. The parts that stay human include: Organize archival records and develop classification systems to facilitate access to archival materials.; Preserve records, documents, and objects, copying records to film, videotape, audiotape, disk, or computer formats as necessary.; Direct activities of workers who assist in arranging, cataloguing, exhibiting, and maintaining collections of valuable materials..

People who learn to use AI for the automatable parts keep the edge. The 3-phase plan below shows where to start.

Which tasks AI can take on

The largest tasks in this occupation, their share of the working week, and how much of each today's AI tools can do.

TaskAutomatable

Prepare archival records, such as document descriptions, to allow easy access to information. 78%

Provide reference services and assistance for users needing archival materials. 65%

Organize archival records and develop classification systems to facilitate access to archival materials. 57%

Create and maintain accessible, retrievable computer archives and databases, incorporating current advances in electronic information storage technology.AI already used 57%

Preserve records, documents, and objects, copying records to film, videotape, audiotape, disk, or computer formats as necessary. 15%

Direct activities of workers who assist in arranging, cataloguing, exhibiting, and maintaining collections of valuable materials. 12%

+ 7 more tasks (29% of the week) in the full test.

Your human edge

Organize archival records and develop classification systems to facilitate access to archival materials.
Preserve records, documents, and objects, copying records to film, videotape, audiotape, disk, or computer formats as necessary.
Direct activities of workers who assist in arranging, cataloguing, exhibiting, and maintaining collections of valuable materials.

AI tools to try

ChatGPT / Claude for lesson materialsAI quiz and feedback toolsPresentation and image generators

Related roles

A 3-phase AI learning plan

Phase 1

Materials and preparation

Lesson plans, tasks and differentiated materials with AI.
Quizzes and answer keys.
Check facts and age-appropriateness yourself.

Project

Use AI to draft a finding aid plus a class-visit worksheet and quiz for one unprocessed collection of 5-10 boxes, then verify every date, name and provenance claim yourself.

Phase 2

Feedback and assessment

Rubrics and feedback drafts with AI.
Spotting common mistakes across student work.
Rules for student AI use and academic honesty.

Project

Build an AI-assisted quality rubric for catalogue descriptions, run it over 100 existing records, and report the 5 most common metadata errors and your correction rate.

Phase 3

Teaching with AI

Teach students to use AI critically.
Assignments that work with AI, not against it.
Share materials and practice with colleagues.

Project

Run a 60-minute reading-room workshop teaching 10 researchers to query AI about your holdings critically, with a handout of AI-use rules shared with colleagues afterwards.

Take the free 11-question test