AI is being deployed in recycling facilities to address labor shortages and improve the efficiency of sorting recyclable materials. Some facilities have only 20% of their positions filled, prompting the use of AI and automation to fill the gap. AI-powered bots can sort up to 80 pieces of recyclable material per minute, outperforming human workers who manage 50 to 80 pieces per minute. Optical sorters are even more impressive, capable of sorting up to 1,000 pieces of recycled trash per minute. This application of AI demonstrates its potential to handle tasks that are undesirable for humans and help alleviate labor shortages in certain industries, like waste management.

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While AI is making strides in automating physical tasks in fields such as recycling and food service, blue-collar jobs are generally considered safe from complete replacement by AI. Most of the jobs at risk of transformation are in white-collar fields like technology, law, and finance, where AI can automate specific processes without necessarily replacing the entire role.