AI tools can now read old handwriting, transcribe scanned pages, suggest catalog descriptions and make large collections searchable. Archivists still decide what is kept, check that records are authentic, preserve them and set the rules for who can see them.
The short answer: current evidence points to AI speeding up cataloging and search, not replacing archivists. The ILO's 2025 index rates archivists and curators at gradient 2 with a score of 0.47. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 3 percent growth for archivists from 2025 to 2035, and about 4,300 openings a year for archivists, curators and museum workers together. Projections are estimates, not guarantees.
How exposed archivists are
The International Labour Organization scores occupations' tasks from 0 (cannot be automated with generative AI) to 1 (could be done without a human operator), and groups them into gradients from 1 to 4, with 4 the most exposed; below them sit minimal exposure and not exposed (ILO Working Paper 140, 2025).
| Occupation (ISCO-08) | ILO category | Mean task score (0 to 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Archivists and Curators | Gradient 2 | 0.47 |
What the BLS projects
| Occupation | Projected change 2025 to 2035 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|
| Archivists | Grow 3% | In total |
| Curators | Grow 5% | In total |
| Museum technicians and conservators | Grow 4% | In total |
| Archivists, curators and museum workers, total | Grow 4% | About 4,300 |
The BLS expects demand for archivists to rise as public and private organizations have more information and records to organize and make accessible, and says the growing use of electronic records may create jobs for archivists. It expects many openings to come from replacing workers who retire or change jobs. Its outlook does not mention AI.
Where AI is helping
- Transcribing scanned and handwritten documents.
- Drafting catalog descriptions and metadata.
- Searching large digital collections by content.
- Sorting born-digital files such as email archives.
What stays with archivists
- Appraisal: deciding what has lasting value and what is kept.
- Authenticity: confirming where a record came from and that it is genuine.
- Access rules: privacy, restrictions and who may see what.
- Checking AI help: transcriptions and descriptions can contain invented or misread details, which NIST calls confabulation (NIST AI 600-1). See checking AI output.
How the job is changing
More of the work is managing electronic records and digital preservation, and AI makes big backlogs faster to describe. Archivists who know digital systems and metadata standards have more options.
See also will AI replace librarians?, will AI replace technical writers? and will AI replace data entry?
Pay and how to get in
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual pay for curators museum technicians and conservators at $60,330 in May 2025, against $50,980 for all workers. The BLS says the education needed to enter varies; its profile explains the routes in. See how this job compares in AI exposure by pay and AI exposure by education level.
Questions and answers
Will AI replace archivists?
Not on current evidence. The ILO rates archivists and curators at gradient 2, and the BLS projects 3 percent growth for archivists from 2025 to 2035.
Why is archivist employment growing?
The BLS points to organizations having more information and records to organize and make accessible, and to the growing use of electronic records.
How many archivist openings are expected?
The BLS projects about 4,300 openings a year for archivists, curators and museum workers combined.
What archival work stays human?
Deciding what to keep, confirming authenticity, setting access rules and checking AI transcriptions.