Will AI replace receptionists? Live data
Receptionists have very high measured AI exposure: Claude usage data covers about 43% of the tasks in this job that AI could in theory speed up. UK adverts are -13.9% year on year, and US postings in Indeed's Administrative Assistance category are -11.4%. Our ledger links 1 AI-attributed layoff event to related roles.
How exposed is this job to AI?
The score is Anthropic's observed exposure for US occupation Receptionists and Information Clerks (SOC 43-4171). It takes the tasks that a language model could theoretically speed up and measures how many are actually showing up in real work-related Claude usage, with fully automated use counting more than assistance.
Dashed line = top third. This occupation is in the top third (used in our ledger rubric, grade B). Ranked #25 of 756.
What the job involves
Answer inquiries and provide information to the general public, customers, visitors, and other interested parties regarding activities conducted at establishment and location of departments, offices, and employees within the organization.
O*NET 31.0 description for Receptionists and Information Clerks. 18 of 18 tasks have a task-level score.
Tasks where AI use is most visible
- Operate telephone switchboard to answer, screen, or forward calls, providing information, taking messages, or scheduling appointments. 100% coverage
- Schedule appointments and maintain and update appointment calendars. 100% coverage
- Hear and resolve complaints from customers or the public. 100% coverage
- Analyze data to determine answers to questions from customers or members of the public. 100% coverage
- Process and prepare memos, correspondence, travel vouchers, or other documents. 77% coverage
Core tasks with no observed AI use
- Greet persons entering establishment, determine nature and purpose of visit, and direct or escort them to specific destinations.
- Receive payment and record receipts for services.
- Transmit information or documents to customers, using computer, mail, or facsimile machine.
- File and maintain records.
- Provide information about establishment, such as location of departments or offices, employees within the organization, or services provided.
UK hiring: online job adverts
Monthly new online job adverts for UK SOC 2020 4216 Receptionists. Year-on-year change compares the last six months with the same months a year earlier, using only months published in both years.
Source: ONS, Online job advert estimates (Textkernel), published 22 October 2026, OGL v3.0. Gaps are suppressed cells. Official statistics in development: Oct 2025-Feb 2026 and Jun-Sep 2026 partly imputed; March 2026 suppressed; Textkernel taxonomy updates cause step changes, so compare recent years with care.
Live postings: UK and US (Indeed)
Indeed's Administrative Assistance category index (covers more than this occupation).
Source: Indeed Hiring Lab job postings by sector, seasonally adjusted, 7-day average, to 16 Oct 2026. CC BY 4.0.
AI-attributed layoffs affecting related roles
| Date | Company | Roles cut | AI claim | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Sep 2026 | University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group | ~100 | ADocumented | The employer names specific AI systems and the admin roles they replace, and the post count is stated. Caveat: these are posts, not redundancies. Details |
Links between events and occupations are our editorial mapping, not company-stated.
What to do if you're one of the receptionists
- Lean into the work AI isn't doing. In the usage data, core tasks such as "Greet persons entering establishment, determine nature and purpose of visit, and direct or escort them to specific destinations" show no observed AI use. Building depth there is the most defensible part of the role.
- Get fluent with AI on the tasks it's already touching. The highest-coverage task here is "Operate telephone switchboard to answer, screen, or forward calls, providing information, taking messages, or scheduling appointments". People who can check, direct and sign off AI output on tasks like this are likely to be more valuable than those competing with it.
- Watch hiring, not headlines. UK adverts for this role are down on a year ago, but compare with the wider market: all UK adverts are -3.4% on the same basis (dashboard). A fall that matches the whole market is a cycle, not an AI story.
- Check the claims. When a company says AI replaced jobs, look at its grade in our ledger - many announcements are mixed or AI-washed.
Data mapping for this page
| US occupation (exposure, tasks) | 43-4171 Receptionists and Information Clerks |
|---|---|
| UK SOC 2020 (ONS adverts) | 4216 Receptionists |
| Indeed category | Administrative Assistance |
| Mapping confidence | high US 'Receptionists and Information Clerks' to UK 4216 'Receptionists'. |
The US SOC → UK SOC 2020 crosswalk is a documented best-effort editorial mapping; see methodology.