Facade and window cleaning
“Facade and window cleaning” (Cleaner) is being replaced by AI: it entered in 2020 and is projected to be largely replaced by 2030.
What this task is
Rope-access and gondola workers clean glass curtain walls on high-rise exteriors, dangerous work at great height whose pace and schedule depend heavily on wind and weather.
How AI replaces it
Window-cleaning robots cling to glass and clean automatically, and gondola-mounted robots work floor by floor along rails or ropes, reducing time at height. They have been used on new towers since 2020, and most facade cleaning is expected to be done by machines around 2030.
What stays human
Irregularly shaped or older buildings without tracks still need people; workers increasingly become equipment operators and safety supervisors who oversee the machines working at height.