Stonemasons

Lay out wall patterns or foundations, using straight edge, rule, or staked lines.

AI: Fully automatable - Layout and staking are readily automated with CAD-to-field transfer, laser/total‑station guidance and robotic markers, so AI systems can fully perform this task in most cases.

Set vertical and horizontal alignment of structures, using plumb bob, gauge line, and level.

AI: Fully automatable - Setting vertical and horizontal alignment is a measurement and control problem that can be fully handled by AI‑guided sensors, lasers and actuated positioning systems in typical scenarios.

Line interiors of molds with treated paper and fill molds with composition-stone mixture.

AI: Fully automatable - Lining molds with paper and filling them with composition-stone mixtures is a repetitive, controlled manufacturing step that is already automatable in prefabrication settings.

Shape, trim, face and cut marble or stone preparatory to setting, using power saws, cutting equipment, and hand tools.

AI: Partial - CNC saws and robotic cutters can shape and cut stone for many uses, but fine hand‑tool finishing and unpredictable stone variability still demand human skill.

Mix mortar or grout and pour or spread mortar or grout on marble slabs, stone, or foundation.

AI: Partial - Mixing and pumping mortar/grout is already automatable, but precise spreading and surface finishing on varied stone/slab geometries remains only partially automatable.

Remove wedges, fill joints between stones, finish joints between stones, using a trowel, and smooth the mortar to an attractive finish, using a tuck pointer.

AI: Partial - Joint finishing with trowel and tuck pointer requires fine dexterity and aesthetic judgment that current AI/robotics can only partially replicate.

Set stone or marble in place, according to layout or pattern.

AI: Partial - Positioning and setting heavy or irregular stones can be assisted or partly automated with cranes and robotic manipulators, but complex placements and adjustments still need human oversight.

Clean excess mortar or grout from surface of marble, stone, or monument, using sponge, brush, water, or acid.

AI: Partial - Automated cleaning systems can remove bulk mortar, but delicate cleaning (especially involving acids or conservation of monuments) requires human judgment and manual work.

Lay brick to build shells of chimneys and smokestacks or to line or reline industrial furnaces, kilns, boilers and similar installations.

AI: Partial - Bricklaying for curved shells and industrial linings has seen robotic support, but the specialized, high‑temperature, and repair contexts involved in furnaces and smokestacks remain only partially automatable.

Replace broken or missing masonry units in walls or floors.

AI: Partial - Robotic bricklaying systems can handle routine placement and replacement, but complex on-site restoration, matching existing mortar and irregular conditions limit full automation as of 2025.

Smooth, polish, and bevel surfaces, using hand tools and power tools.

AI: Partial - CNC machines and robotic polishers can finish predictable, controlled surfaces, but varied on-site stone finishing and fine craft judgment still require human skill.

Drill holes in marble or ornamental stone and anchor brackets in holes.

AI: Partial - Automated/CNC drilling can produce precise holes in stone in controlled settings, but ornamental, irregular installations and bracket anchoring on-site typically need human oversight and dexterity.

Repair cracked or chipped areas of stone or marble, using blowtorch and mastic, and remove rough or defective spots from concrete, using power grinder or chisel and hammer.

AI: Partial - Repairs involving heat, mastic, and manual grinding or chisel work require nuanced tactile judgment and adaptive techniques that current autonomous systems cannot fully replicate.

Remove sections of monument from truck bed, and guide stone onto foundation, using skids, hoist, or truck crane.

AI: Partial - Cranes and hoists can be semi-automated or teleoperated for heavy lifting, but guiding fragile monuments from truck to foundation in variable conditions remains largely a human task.

Construct and install prefabricated masonry units.

AI: Partial - Prefabrication of masonry units is largely automatable in factories, but the on-site assembly and fitting of those prefabricated units still require skilled human adjustment.

Dig trench for foundation of monument, using pick and shovel.

AI: Partial - Large-scale trenching is automated by excavators, but small-scale hand-digging with pick and shovel for delicate monument foundations is not fully automated and needs human labor.

Position mold along guidelines of wall, press mold in place, and remove mold and paper from wall.

AI: Partial - Robotic manipulators can position and press molds in controlled environments, yet on-site alignment, adaptability to irregular surfaces, and delicate demolding limit full automation.