What kinds of sources this site uses
ROBOT LABOR does not rely on one secret dataset. It uses public source families that help define occupations, understand task structure, and check how work changes in real institutions.
Sources support judgment; they do not replace it.
No single institution can tell you the fate of a specific role in a specific workplace. Public evidence is useful because it reveals patterns, boundaries, and recurring constraints.
This site uses sources to define roles, pressure-test claims, and understand why some work is easier to reroute through software while other work remains human-led for longer.
Main evidence used in the current edition
These are the main public institutions and evidence types that inform the site’s editorial reading.
- Occupation frameworks and task taxonomiesO*NET OnLine and comparable public occupation frameworks. Used to define role boundaries, common tasks, work activities, and work context.
- Labor statistics and employment outlookU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and other public labor agencies. Used for labor context, occupational definitions, and broad structural trends rather than one-to-one prediction.
- International labor and skills analysisInternational Labour Organization, OECD, Eurofound, and Cedefop. Used for cross-country labor change, skills, work organization, and policy context.
- Sector and workflow reportsWorld Economic Forum, public industry studies, and institutional workflow material. Used carefully to identify recurring redesign patterns rather than to import a single dramatic claim.
- Regulation, licensing, and accountability contextPublic regulators, professional standards bodies, educational authorities, health guidance, and other institutional rules relevant to high-accountability work.
- Operational reality checksCommon workflow patterns observable in office support, customer service, logistics, software, education, healthcare, and care work. Used to keep the site anchored in ordinary work rather than product marketing language.
The site uses evidence in layers
Different questions require different source types.
| Question | Typical source family | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| What does this role normally include? | Occupation frameworks | Define the role boundary and core task families. |
| How is this field changing? | Labor statistics and international work-change reports | Check the broader structural context. |
| What limits machine replacement here? | Regulation, standards, safety rules, accountability context | Identify why human review remains necessary. |
| What changes first in real workflows? | Sector reports and operational reality checks | See which layers are usually accelerated before the title changes. |
What the site tries to avoid
Single shocking statistics without context, vendor hype dressed up as labor evidence, and confident claims that cannot be traced back to a public source family.
How to challenge a page
If a role guide misses an essential task, context, or institutional constraint, send a note to info@robotlabor.org. Helpful feedback includes the missing point and the public reason it matters.