Will AI Replace Human Factors Engineers and Ergonomists?

Collect data through direct observation of work activities or witnessing the conduct of tests.

data analysis — Human factors analysis aided; empirical studies human

Conduct interviews or surveys of users or customers to collect information on topics, such as requirements, needs, fatigue, ergonomics, or interfaces.

data analysis — Human factors analysis aided; empirical studies human

Advocate for end users in collaboration with other professionals, including engineers, designers, managers, or customers.

interpersonal — Conferring with technical staff on plans is relational work

Inspect work sites to identify physical hazards.

visual inspection — Physical site verification against specs is human

Prepare reports or presentations summarizing results or conclusions of human factors engineering or ergonomics activities, such as testing, investigation, or validation.

text generation — Document test results from provided data

Recommend workplace changes to improve health and safety, using knowledge of potentially harmful factors, such as heavy loads or repetitive motions.

decision support — General safety advice; accountability and context human

Perform functional, task, or anthropometric analysis, using tools, such as checklists, surveys, videotaping, or force measurement.

data analysis — Human factors analysis aided; empirical studies human

Provide technical support to clients through activities, such as rearranging workplace fixtures to reduce physical hazards or discomfort or modifying task sequences to reduce cycle time.

decision support — General safety advice; accountability and context human

Assess the user-interface or usability characteristics of products.

decision support — Usefulness assessment needs context and testing

Establish system operating or training requirements to ensure optimized human-machine interfaces.

decision support — Operational criteria drafted; human decides

Integrate human factors requirements into operational hardware.

data analysis — Human factors analysis aided; empirical studies human

Review health, safety, accident, or worker compensation records to evaluate safety program effectiveness or to identify jobs with high incidence of injury.

physical manipulation — Workplace safety inspection is on-site human

Design or evaluate human work systems, using human factors engineering and ergonomic principles to optimize usability, cost, quality, safety, or performance.

data analysis — Evaluates operations from data; human owns conclusions

Write, review, or comment on documents, such as proposals, test plans, or procedures.

text generation — Assemble proposal documents from provided content

Train users in task techniques or ergonomic principles.

interpersonal — Operational procedure training needs live demonstration

Conduct research to evaluate potential solutions related to changes in equipment design, procedures, manpower, personnel, or training.

data analysis — Human factors analysis aided; empirical studies human

Provide human factors technical expertise on topics, such as advanced user-interface technology development or the role of human users in automated or autonomous sub-systems in advanced vehicle systems.

decision support — Proposes design changes; human validates feasibility

Develop or implement human performance research, investigation, or analysis protocols.

decision support — Protocols drafted; scientific validity human-owned

Develop or implement research methodologies or statistical analysis plans to test and evaluate developmental prototypes used in new products or processes, such as cockpit designs, user workstations, or computerized human models.

decision support — Protocols drafted; scientific validity human-owned

Estimate time or resource requirements for ergonomic or human factors research or development projects.

data analysis — Time estimates from task data; human calibrates

Design cognitive aids, such as procedural storyboards or decision support systems.

text generation — Draft procedural documents from provided content

Analyze complex systems to determine potential for further development, production, interoperability, compatibility, or usefulness in a particular area, such as aviation.

data analysis — Human factors analysis aided; empirical studies human

Investigate theoretical or conceptual issues, such as the human design considerations of lunar landers or habitats.

data analysis — Human factors analysis aided; empirical studies human

Operate testing equipment, such as heat stress meters, octave band analyzers, motion analysis equipment, inclinometers, light meters, thermoanemometers, sling psychrometers, or colorimetric detection tubes.

data analysis — AI interprets results; human runs physical tests

Perform statistical analyses, such as social network pattern analysis, network modeling, discrete event simulation, agent-based modeling, statistical natural language processing, computational sociology, mathematical optimization, or systems dynamics.

data analysis — AI builds computational models; engineer validates assumptions

Apply modeling or quantitative analysis to forecast events, such as human decisions or behaviors, the structure or processes of organizations, or the attitudes or actions of human groups.

data analysis — AI builds computational models; engineer validates assumptions