# Opening the Frey/Osborne Black Box: Which Tasks of a Job are Susceptible to Computerization?

**Authors:** Philipp Brandes, Roger Wattenhofer  
**arXiv:** [1604.08823](https://arxiv.org/abs/1604.08823)  
**Date:** 2016-04-29  
**Summary page:** https://www.summarizepaper.com/en/paper/1604.08823v2/

## Key points

- Philipp Brandes and Roger Wattenhofer build upon Frey and Osborne's work on job automation
- They analyze tasks in the O*NET database to determine likelihood of computerization for each job
- Utilize a linear program to assign probabilities to individual tasks, ensuring related tasks have similar probabilities
- Granular analysis provides a more comprehensive understanding of job automation susceptibility
- Aims to refine existing results and offer insights into specific tasks at risk of automation

## Summary

In their influential paper, Philipp Brandes and Roger Wattenhofer build upon the groundbreaking work of Frey and Osborne by delving deeper into the automation of jobs. They take a closer look at the tasks that make up each job in the O*NET database and recognize that these tasks are interconnected, shedding light on the likelihood of computerization for a particular job. By utilizing a linear program, they assign probabilities to individual tasks while ensuring that related tasks have similar probabilities. This approach not only refines existing results but also provides a more comprehensive understanding of which aspects of a job are most susceptible to automation. Such granular analysis allows both experts and laymen to better critique and refine findings, ultimately leading to more accurate assessments of the impact of automation on various occupations. Through their study, Brandes and Wattenhofer aim to open up the "black box" created by Frey and Osborne's initial research, offering insights into which specific tasks within a job are at risk of being automated in an increasingly technology-driven world.