AI exposure: Computer Network Architects
Design and implement computer and information networks, such as local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), intranets, extranets, and other data communications networks. Perform network modeling, analysis, and planning, including analysis of capacity needs for network infrastructures. May also design network and computer security measures. May research and recommend network and data communications hardware and software.
Reading this score
computed48.7% of this occupation's weighted task load is exposed, which puts Computer Network Architects at the 87th percentile of 923 occupations. The capability is largely there. Its average task scores 2.9 out of 4 on what a current system can produce, and the frictions that hold other jobs in place are comparatively weak here.
What holds the line here is context. Across this occupation's 33 tasks it averages 1.84 out of 3, the highest of the five friction dimensions. In plain terms, the work depends on knowledge the model cannot hold. Much of this job runs on things that were never written down: what this particular organisation does, what happened last week, what the person across the table actually meant. That context is the barrier, and it erodes as systems are given more access.
The most exposed thing this job does is Develop procedures to track, project, or report network availability, reliability, capacity, or..., at 83.3%. The least is Maintain or coordinate the maintenance of network peripherals, at 13.3%. A gap of 70.0% between two parts of the same job is the reason this index publishes at task level. An occupation-wide number would have hidden both.
Within computer and mathematical occupations, this one is less exposed than the median of 57.8% across the group's 36 roles, with 29 scoring higher. Being in an exposed family does not make a particular job exposed, and the reverse holds too.
What would move this score. Of 33 tasks, 31 are currently banded exposed, 0 assisted and 2 untouched. For that distribution to shift materially would take systems being given deeper access to the organisation's own records and history, which is already happening. The score is re-computed every quarter against a fresh capability reference, and the change is published rather than quietly applied.
Task by task
33 tasks, O*NET 31.0| Task | Exposed | Assisted | Untouched | Importance | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Develop procedures to track, project, or report network availability, reliability, capacity, or utilization. | 83.3% | 16.7% | 0.0% | 3.28 | exposed |
| Monitor and analyze network performance and reports on data input or output to detect problems, identify inefficient use of computer resources, or perform capacity planning. | 80.0% | 20.0% | 0.0% | 3.90 | exposed |
| Develop network-related documentation. | 73.3% | 26.7% | 0.0% | 3.89 | exposed |
| Develop conceptual, logical, or physical network designs. | 73.3% | 26.7% | 0.0% | 3.75 | exposed |
| Explain design specifications to integration or test engineers. | 73.3% | 26.7% | 0.0% | 3.31 | exposed |
| Prepare design presentations and proposals for staff or customers. | 73.3% | 26.7% | 0.0% | 3.11 | exposed |
| Use network computer-aided design (CAD) software packages to optimize network designs. | 73.3% | 26.7% | 0.0% | 3.06 | exposed |
| Visit vendors, attend conferences or training sessions, or study technical journals to keep up with changes in technology. | 65.0% | 10.0% | 25.0% | 2.75 | exposed |
| Develop or maintain project reporting systems. | 64.2% | 23.3% | 12.5% | 2.71 | exposed |
| Develop disaster recovery plans. | 50.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 4.44 | exposed |
| Develop or recommend network security measures, such as firewalls, network security audits, or automated security probes. | 50.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 4.35 | exposed |
| Develop plans or budgets for network equipment replacement. | 50.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 3.67 | exposed |
| Determine specific network hardware or software requirements, such as platforms, interfaces, bandwidths, or routine schemas. | 50.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 3.60 | exposed |
| Prepare detailed network specifications, including diagrams, charts, equipment configurations, or recommended technologies. | 50.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 3.60 | exposed |
| Estimate time and materials needed to complete projects. | 50.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 3.44 | exposed |
| Communicate with vendors to gather information about products, alert them to future needs, resolve problems, or address system maintenance issues. | 47.5% | 27.5% | 25.0% | 3.72 | exposed |
| Maintain networks by performing activities such as file addition, deletion, or backup. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 4.16 | exposed |
| Coordinate network operations, maintenance, repairs, or upgrades. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 4.15 | exposed |
| Develop and write procedures for installation, use, or troubleshooting of communications hardware or software. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 3.84 | exposed |
| Adjust network sizes to meet volume or capacity demands. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 3.79 | exposed |
| Communicate with system users to ensure accounts are set up properly or to diagnose and solve operational problems. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 3.78 | exposed |
| Evaluate network designs to determine whether customer requirements are met efficiently and effectively. | 45.0% | 30.0% | 25.0% | 3.72 | exposed |
| Communicate with customers, sales staff, or marketing staff to determine customer needs. | 40.0% | 35.0% | 25.0% | 3.63 | exposed |
| Research and test new or modified hardware or software products to determine performance and interoperability. | 39.6% | 22.9% | 37.5% | 3.47 | exposed |
| Design, build, or operate equipment configuration prototypes, including network hardware, software, servers, or server operation systems. | 37.5% | 25.0% | 37.5% | 3.80 | exposed |
| Prepare or monitor project schedules, budgets, or cost control systems. | 35.4% | 27.1% | 37.5% | 3.12 | exposed |
| Participate in network technology upgrade or expansion projects, including installation of hardware and software and integration testing. | 34.4% | 15.6% | 50.0% | 3.83 | exposed |
| Coordinate installation of new equipment. | 30.0% | 20.0% | 50.0% | 3.95 | exposed |
| Design, organize, and deliver product awareness, skills transfer, or product education sessions for staff or suppliers. | 30.0% | 20.0% | 50.0% | 3.35 | exposed |
| Develop and implement solutions for network problems. | 26.7% | 23.3% | 50.0% | 4.20 | exposed |
| Coordinate network or design activities with designers of associated networks. | 26.7% | 23.3% | 50.0% | 3.15 | exposed |
| Supervise engineers or other staff in the design or implementation of network solutions. | 13.3% | 11.7% | 75.0% | 3.57 | untouched |
| Maintain or coordinate the maintenance of network peripherals, such as printers. | 13.3% | 11.7% | 75.0% | 2.62 | untouched |
Task text and importance ratings sourced from O*NET 31.0. Shares computed. The occupation score is the importance-weighted mean.
Where the score comes from
judgedEvery task is scored through the standardised work activities it maps to. These are this occupation’s averages on the six rubric dimensions. Capability is what AI can do; the other five are what stands in the way.
| Dimension | Mean | Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Capability | 2.91 | 0-4 |
| Embodiment | 0.56 | 0-3 |
| Presence | 0.51 | 0-3 |
| Accountability | 0.87 | 0-3 |
| Context | 1.84 | 0-3 |
| Verification cost | 1.45 | 0-3 |
What this means in practice
Where most of a role's weighted task load is exposed, the work that survives is usually the part of the job nobody wrote into the job description: deciding what should be produced rather than producing it, and being answerable for the result. The tasks lowest on this page are a better guide to where to spend your time than any general advice about the future of work.
Occupations either side of this one
The four closest scores in the same occupational family, then the four closest anywhere in the index.
Read this carefully. Exposure is not displacement. A high score means current AI systems can produce this work, not that anyone will stop paying a person to do it. Adoption depends on economics, regulation and inertia that this index deliberately does not model. How the score is built.