Electronic Equipment Installers and Repairers, Motor Vehicles

Auto shops now use digital tools to help with some tasks, but most work is still hands-on. For example, technicians often use computer systems and even simple AI to read a car’s sensors and error codes, which speeds up finding problems ^[1]. Likewise, many shops use software that automatically adds up parts and labor for a repair estimate.

In this sense, tasks like “diagnose or repair electronic equipment” and “estimate repair costs” are partly augmented by tech ^{[2] [1]}. However, the heavy lifting – literally – is still done by people. BLS notes these installers often “have to lift heavy equipment and work in awkward positions,” like removing seats or routing new cables ^[3].

No commercial robot currently reaches inside a car to install a stereo or add soundproofing. In practice, recording test results is mostly done in a computer database (so that is somewhat automated), but physically replacing parts, cleaning components, and running cables remain manual tasks ^{[3] [2]}. In short, AI and computers are tools that help mechanics work faster, but they do not fully replace the skilled installer.

There is interest in using AI for auto repair, but adoption is cautious. Big service companies are experimenting: McKinsey reports that most top firms already use advanced analytics (70%) and about half use AI tools to speed up service decisions ^[1]. In theory, AI could boost efficiency by analyzing data from a car’s sensors or repair manuals.

But in practice, installing AI systems can be expensive, and many shops are small businesses with tight budgets. Labor costs for technicians are not extremely high, so shop owners may wait to see clear benefits before buying new AI tools. Also, customers value personal service – people trust a human mechanic to tweak their car, especially for safety-related fixes.

For these reasons, BLS projects little to no change (0% growth) in jobs for this field ^[3], suggesting sweeping automation isn’t happening yet.