AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 27-1011.00
Will AI replace Art Directors?
Art Directors: AI can already handle 4 of 16 tasks; the work mostly needs a standard-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 16 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Art Directors, from most to least exposed. 4 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confer with clients to determine objectives, budget, background information, and presentation approaches, styles, and techniques. | Observed | Standard | |
| Review and approve art materials, copy materials, and proofs of printed copy developed by staff members. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Review illustrative material to determine if it conforms to standards and specifications. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Formulate basic layout design or presentation approach and specify material details, such as style and size of type, photographs, graphics, animation, video, and sound. | Observed | Frontier | |
| Work with creative directors to develop design solutions. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Confer with creative, art, copywriting, or production department heads to discuss client requirements and presentation concepts and to coordinate creative activities. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Hire, train, and direct staff members who develop design concepts into art layouts or who prepare layouts for printing. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Mark up, paste, and complete layouts and write typography instructions to prepare materials for typesetting or printing. | Observed | Standard | |
| Conceptualize and help design interfaces for multimedia games, products, and devices. | Observed | Standard | |
| Research current trends and new technology, such as printing production techniques, computer software, and design trends. | Observed | Efficient | |
| Prepare detailed storyboards showing sequence and timing of story development for television production. | Observed | Standard | |
| Negotiate with printers and estimators to determine what services will be performed. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Present final layouts to clients for approval. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Manage own accounts and projects, working within budget and scheduling requirements. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Create custom illustrations or other graphic elements. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Attend photo shoots and printing sessions to ensure that the products needed are obtained. | Estimated | Standard |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 6 of 16 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 10 of 16. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
A standard-tier model or lower covers 81% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 100% of the work is something AI can address at some tier.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 53,070
- Median annual wage
- $114,850
- Middle half of earners
- $82,480 to $162,640
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +4.2%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Producers and Directors 67% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure44
- Graphic Designers 67% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure42
- Art Therapists 66% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure45
- Media Technical Directors/Managers 62% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure66
- Talent Directors 62% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure61
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Art Directors and AI
Will AI replace Art Directors?
AI already handles 4 of the 16 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 46 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +4.2% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Art Directors?
46 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 6 of the 16 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 10 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Art Directors tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Confer with clients to determine objectives, budget, background information, and presentation approaches, styles, and techniques; Review and approve art materials, copy materials, and proofs of printed copy developed by staff members; Review illustrative material to determine if it conforms to standards and specifications. They are three of the 4 tasks that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A standard-tier model or lower covers 81% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Art Directors, and what do they earn?
53,070 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $114,850 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +4.2% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Art Directors. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/art-directors
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