Sorting and grading
Farm Worker · Produce Picker
“Sorting and grading” (Farm Worker) was largely replaced by AI in 2024, after AI entered in 2015.
AI enters
2015
Largely replaced
2024
Replacement progress
100%
Technology / key factor
Optical sorters
What this task is
After harvest, workers sort fruit and vegetables one by one by size, color, shape and surface defects, so they can be packed, priced and sold by grade.
How AI replaces it
Optical sorters spread from 2015, using cameras and near-infrared sensors to check external and internal quality at high speed. By 2024, large-scale produce sorting is mostly done by machines.
What stays human
Workers set up and feed the machines, run spot checks, handle produce types the machines struggle with, and adjust grading settings to match buyers' standards.