The Task Exposure Indexv2026.Q3
Occupation · SOC 15-1299.08 · Job Zone 3

AI exposure: Computer Systems Engineers/Architects

Design and develop solutions to complex applications problems, system administration issues, or network concerns. Perform systems management and integration functions.

Reading this score

computed

51.3% of this occupation's weighted task load is exposed, which puts Computer Systems Engineers/Architects at the 89th percentile of 923 occupations. The capability is largely there. Its average task scores 3.1 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 28 tasks it averages 1.95 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 Monitor system operation to detect potential problems, at 80.0%. The least is Perform ongoing hardware and software maintenance operations, at 21.5%. A gap of 58.5% 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 26 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 28 tasks, 27 are currently banded exposed, 0 assisted and 1 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

28 tasks, O*NET 31.0
TaskExposedAssistedUntouchedImportanceBand
Monitor system operation to detect potential problems.80.0%20.0%0.0%4.09exposed
Provide technical guidance or support for the development or troubleshooting of systems.73.3%26.7%0.0%3.64exposed
Establish functional or system standards to address operational requirements, quality requirements, and design constraints.73.3%26.7%0.0%3.61exposed
Evaluate current or emerging technologies to consider factors such as cost, portability, compatibility, or usability.73.3%26.7%0.0%3.45exposed
Develop or approve project plans, schedules, or budgets.73.3%26.7%0.0%3.39exposed
Communicate project information through presentations, technical reports, or white papers.73.3%26.7%0.0%3.37exposed
Investigate system component suitability for specified purposes, and make recommendations regarding component use.61.3%26.2%12.5%4.19exposed
Evaluate existing systems to determine effectiveness, and suggest changes to meet organizational requirements.61.3%26.2%12.5%3.73exposed
Complete models and simulations, using manual or automated tools, to analyze or predict system performance under different operating conditions.61.3%26.2%12.5%3.25exposed
Document design specifications, installation instructions, and other system-related information.60.0%40.0%0.0%3.73exposed
Provide customers or installation teams guidelines for implementing secure systems.55.0%20.0%25.0%4.18exposed
Identify system data, hardware, or software components required to meet user needs.55.0%20.0%25.0%3.95exposed
Train system users in system operation or maintenance.55.0%20.0%25.0%3.29exposed
Verify stability, interoperability, portability, security, or scalability of system architecture.50.0%25.0%25.0%3.95exposed
Develop system engineering, software engineering, system integration, or distributed system architectures.50.0%25.0%25.0%3.59exposed
Provide advice on project costs, design concepts, or design changes.50.0%25.0%25.0%3.45exposed
Develop efficient and effective system controllers.50.0%25.0%25.0%3.06exposed
Develop application-specific software.50.0%25.0%25.0%3.09exposed
Research, test, or verify proper functioning of software patches and fixes.47.5%27.5%25.0%3.91exposed
Design and conduct hardware or software tests.43.8%18.8%37.5%3.73exposed
Communicate with staff or clients to understand specific system requirements.40.0%35.0%25.0%4.24exposed
Perform security analyses of developed or packaged software components.40.0%35.0%25.0%3.67exposed
Define and analyze objectives, scope, issues, or organizational impact of information systems.40.0%35.0%25.0%3.62exposed
Collaborate with engineers or software developers to select appropriate design solutions or ensure the compatibility of system components.33.3%29.2%37.5%3.81exposed
Direct the installation of operating systems, network or application software, or computer or network hardware.30.0%20.0%50.0%4.09exposed
Direct the analysis, development, and operation of complete computer systems.26.7%23.3%50.0%4.16exposed
Configure servers to meet functional specifications.26.7%23.3%50.0%3.90exposed
Perform ongoing hardware and software maintenance operations, including installing or upgrading hardware or software.21.5%11.8%66.7%3.95untouched

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

judged

Every 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.

DimensionMeanScale
Capability3.100-4
Embodiment0.320-3
Presence0.360-3
Accountability0.990-3
Context1.950-3
Verification cost1.480-3

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.