Will AI replace Office Clerks, General?

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

55/100

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 Office Clerks, General?

Not entirely. Today's AI tools can take on about 55% of the typical work in this occupation, mostly: process and prepare documents, such as business or government forms and expense reports. The parts that stay human include: Operate office machines, such as photocopiers and scanners, facsimile machines, voice mail systems, and personal computers.; Communicate with customers, employees, and other individuals to answer questions, disseminate or explain information, take orders, and address complaints.; Open, sort, and route incoming mail, answer correspondence, and prepare outgoing mail..

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

Process and prepare documents, such as business or government forms and expense reports.AI already used 75%

Communicate with customers, employees, and other individuals to answer questions, disseminate or explain information, take orders, and address complaints.AI already used 68%

Maintain and update filing, inventory, mailing, and database systems, either manually or using a computer. 62%

Answer telephones, direct calls, and take messages.AI already used 60%

Compile, copy, sort, and file records of office activities, business transactions, and other activities.AI already used 57%

Operate office machines, such as photocopiers and scanners, facsimile machines, voice mail systems, and personal computers. 17%

+ 14 more tasks (46% of the week) in the full test.

Your human edge

Operate office machines, such as photocopiers and scanners, facsimile machines, voice mail systems, and personal computers.
Communicate with customers, employees, and other individuals to answer questions, disseminate or explain information, take orders, and address complaints.
Open, sort, and route incoming mail, answer correspondence, and prepare outgoing mail.

AI tools to try

Microsoft 365 Copilot or Google Gemini for WorkspaceChatGPT / Claude for emails and documentsAutomation tools (Power Automate, Zapier, Make)

Related roles

A 3-phase AI learning plan

Phase 1

Automate the routine

Emails, letters and documents from templates with AI.
Data entry and extraction from forms and PDFs.
Spreadsheet work with AI help.

Project

Build an AI prompt library for your 10 most-sent letters and emails, then use AI to extract data from 50 scanned invoices into a spreadsheet and time the before/after.

Phase 2

Workflows across tools

Connect email, forms and spreadsheets with no-code automations.
Checks and controls on automated steps.
Document how each workflow works.

Project

Connect a no-code automation that files incoming form submissions into your database, flags missing fields for review, and document the workflow in a one-page runbook.

Phase 3

From doing to coordinating

Become the person who maintains the team's automations.
Train colleagues.
Look at roles in operations, coordination or process improvement.

Project

Run a 60-minute training session teaching two colleagues to use your automations, hand over a maintenance checklist, and track their time saved over two weeks.

Take the free 11-question test