Will AI replace Photographers?
AI reaches some of this job’s work, but most of it stays with people.
23/100
Moderate exposure
More exposed to AI than 39% of US workers.
- AI already used in
- 9% of the work
- As AI tools mature: up to
- 44% of the work
What the job involves
Photograph people, landscapes, merchandise, or other subjects. May use lighting equipment to enhance a subject's appearance. May use editing software to produce finished images and prints. Includes commercial and industrial photographers, scientific photographers, and photojournalists.
Where AI reaches the work
The job’s main tasks, heaviest first, by how far AI reaches them.
Already happening(2)
- Determine desired images and picture composition, selecting and adjusting subjects, equipment, and lighting to achieve desired effects.
- Manipulate and enhance scanned or digital images to create desired effects, using computers and specialized software.
Within reach(10)
- Transfer photographs to computers for editing, archiving, and electronic transmission.
- Estimate or measure light levels, distances, and numbers of exposures needed, using measuring devices and formulas.
- Perform general office duties, such as scheduling appointments, keeping books, and ordering supplies.
- Review sets of photographs to select the best work.
- Determine project goals, locations, and equipment needs by studying assignments and consulting with clients or advertising staff.
and 5 more
Out of reach(16)
- Adjust apertures, shutter speeds, and camera focus according to a combination of factors, such as lighting, field depth, subject motion, film type, and film speed.
- Create artificial light, using flashes and reflectors.
- Use traditional or digital cameras, along with a variety of equipment, such as tripods, filters, and flash attachments.
- Take pictures of individuals, families, and small groups, either in studio or on location.
- Test equipment prior to use to ensure that it is in good working order.
and 11 more
Also called
Photojournalist · News Photographer · Advertising Photographer · Photographer · Portrait Photographer · Aerial Photographer · Biological Photographer · Industrial Photographer
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What these numbers mean
The score is the share of this job’s work, weighted by how important and frequent each task is, that AI could do in half the time: tasks an AI model could do alone count in full, tasks that need software built on AI count half.
“AI already used” is the share of the work in tasks where people are recorded using AI today. “As AI tools mature” counts every task AI could halve, with or without extra software.
The percentile compares the score with every job’s, weighted by how many people in the US do each one. Exposure means AI could change how the work is done, not that the job goes away. These are estimates for the typical job, not predictions.
Sources
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
- GPTs are GPTs: Labor market impact potential of LLMs (task labels), Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), OpenAI and University of Pennsylvania
- Anthropic Economic Index: labor market impacts (task penetration), Anthropic
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (national and metropolitan areas), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics