Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers

Monitor recreational areas, such as pools, beaches, or ski slopes, to provide assistance and protection to participants.

The occupation "Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers" has a calculated automation risk of 41.3%. This base risk, very close to the analyzed base figure of 41.7%, reflects the significant variety of tasks within the role and the degree to which these tasks can be technologically reproduced. Automating this occupation is moderately feasible, largely because many duties—such as surveillance, communication, and process-driven responses—can be partially handled by emerging technologies like sensors, drones, and communication devices. However, the occupation still retains a substantial portion of responsibilities that require real-time human judgment and physical intervention, explaining why the automation risk is not higher. The top three tasks most susceptible to automation are primarily procedural and observation-based. Patrol or monitoring of recreational areas, such as trails, slopes, or swimming areas, often involves repetitive surveillance, which can be accomplished with automated cameras, drones, or AI-driven monitoring software. The act of rescuing distressed individuals, while currently human-led, is partially automatable with the development of remotely piloted rescue devices or robots, though full automation faces technical and ethical challenges. Finally, contacting emergency medical personnel in case of serious injury largely involves communication protocols, which can be efficiently systematized using automated alert systems, reducing the need for human involvement in initial outreach. Conversely, the most automation-resistant tasks in this occupation demand human creativity, versatility, and interpersonal skills. Participating in recreational demonstrations to entertain guests, for instance, hinges on performance ability and personal engagement, elements difficult for AI to replicate persuasively. Similarly, providing assistance in the safe use of complex or unpredictable equipment—such as ski lifts—relies on contextual understanding and the ability to respond to unanticipated issues in real-time. The management tasks like staff selection, training, and supervision require nuanced human judgment and social skills. As shown by bottleneck skills ratings—where originality is only 2.0%—the field is only modestly protected by uniquely human, creative thinking, indicating that while parts of the job can be automated, the irreplaceable human elements prevent higher automation risk.