Locksmiths and Safe Repairers

Locksmiths’ work is mostly hands-on and only partly digitized. Many record-keeping tasks are done on computers today – for example, locksmiths often use inventory and scheduling software to track keys and work orders ^[1]. Machines already help with key-cutting: commercial key-cutting machines can automatically duplicate standard keys once fed the original, though a human still loads the key and supervises the cut.

In general, complex tasks like unlocking a locked car or drilling open a safe remain manual. (One research team even built a robot to crack a combination safe faster than a person ^[2], but this level of automation is experimental, not a common service.) Modern cars have more electronic locks, so locksmiths now use specialized scanners or phone apps to reprogram smart keys, but these tools augment rather than replace the locksmith’s skills. In short, computers and machines can assist (e.g. tracking lock records or cutting simple keys), but the core work – picking locks, drilling safes, installing hardware – still depends on human skill ^{[1] [3]}.

New tech in locksmithing tends to add tools, not remove the locksmith. One reason is cost and scale: a robot that could drive to your car and pick its lock under AI control would be very expensive compared to hiring a locksmith who costs around \$23 an hour ^[3]. The market is also small – only about 15,000 locksmiths and safe repairers are employed in the U.S. – so companies have little incentive to build costly robots for this niche work ^[3].

Furthermore, tasks are unpredictable: every lock or vehicle is different, and customers must trust the locksmith with their security. People are unlikely to hand over keys to a machine without clear benefits. Government data show that so far these kinds of skilled trades have not seen big job losses from AI; in fact, BLS research finds little evidence of a sudden downturn in similar occupations ^[3].

In other words, while AI may help with business tasks (for example, automated quoting or online scheduling), the day-to-day job of opening locks, cutting keys, and installing safes will likely remain “hands-on” for humans in the near future ^{[3] [2]}. The good news is locksmiths can focus on the personal, problem-solving and customer-service parts of the job – skills machines can’t easily match – keeping their role essential even as technology advances.