Will AI replace Computer Network Support Specialists?
On paper, AI could touch ~63% of the work in Computer Network Support Specialists — and unlike most jobs, it's already showing up in the real workday, not just the theory.
O*NET-SOC 15-1231
How your 26 core tasks split
Top = what GPT-4 judged AI could speed up. Bottom = how much AI was actually used for these tasks (Anthropic's March 2026 report, usage from Aug & Nov 2025). The gap is the real story.
Back in 2023, GPT-4 judged AI could, in theory, assist with a high share of this job's tasks (~63%). By late 2025, real-world AI use had reached about 29% of its task activity (already common). The gap between that 2023 forecast and today is the real story.
Where this job sits among 738 jobs
Each dot is one of 738 U.S. jobs. Right = AI can do more of it. Up = AI is actually used more.
Read this as a range, not a verdict
The signals here partly disagree — AI's theoretical reach (~63%) and its real-world use (~29%) tell different stories. AI-risk scores also shift a lot by which model does the rating (2.7%–51.5% in one 2026 study), so this is a direction of travel, not a fixed answer.
See all 26 tasks, ratedBased on real task-level AI scores — click to collapse
- Configure security settings or access permissions for groups or individuals.
- Document network support activities.
- Configure wide area network (WAN) or local area network (LAN) routers or related equipment.
- Install network software, including security or firewall software.
- Evaluate local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN) performance data to ensure sufficient availability or speed, to identify network problems, or for disaster recovery purposes.
- Configure and define parameters for installation or testing of local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), hubs, routers, switches, controllers, multiplexers, or related networking equipment.
- Install new hardware or software systems or components, ensuring integration with existing network systems.
- Test computer software or hardware, using standard diagnostic testing equipment and procedures.
- Create or update technical documentation for network installations or changes to existing installations.
- Maintain logs of network activity.
- Document help desk requests and resolutions.
- Create or revise user instructions, procedures, or manuals.
- Analyze and report computer network security breaches or attempted breaches.
- Identify the causes of networking problems, using diagnostic testing software and equipment.
- Troubleshoot network or connectivity problems for users or user groups.
- Provide telephone support related to networking or connectivity issues.
- Analyze network data to determine network usage, disk space availability, or server function.
- Monitor industry Web sites or publications for information about patches, releases, viruses, or potential problem identification.
- Train users in procedures related to network applications software or related systems.
- Research hardware or software products to meet technical networking or security needs.
- Run monthly network reports.
- Back up network data.
- Perform routine maintenance or standard repairs to networking components or equipment.
- Install or repair network cables, including fiber optic cables.
- Test repaired items to ensure proper operation.
- Install and configure wireless networking equipment.
How we measured this — and how fresh it is
AI's theoretical reach data: 2023
From GPTs-are-GPTs (Eloundou et al.), where GPT-4 rated how much of each task an AI tool could meaningfully speed up. This is the most recent open, commercially-usable occupation-level potential dataset — it dates to 2023. Newer multi-model re-runs exist but swing wildly (one 2026 study saw "high-risk" jobs range 2.7%–51.5% by model) and aren't openly licensed, so we show the stable 2023 baseline and pair it with newer real-world data.
Real-world AI use 2026 report
From the Anthropic Economic Index, which observes how real Claude conversations map onto each occupation's tasks. Published in Anthropic's March 2026 labor-market report, based on usage measured in Aug & Nov 2025 (Sonnet 4 / 4.5).
Task list & ratings O*NET 30.3
Tasks come from O*NET 30.3. Each task's "AI can do / speeds up / still on you" tier uses the real task-level exposure scores from GPTs-are-GPTs (E1 / E2 / E0) — not a guess from keywords.
Sources: O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0) · GPTs-are-GPTs (MIT, 2023) · Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY, Aug & Nov 2025). Page compiled June 2026. "O*NET" is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor.
This page is for general informational purposes only and is not career, financial, or employment advice. AI exposure reflects research estimates of task overlap, not predictions about any individual's job, employer, or future employment.