Proofreading is the last check before something is printed or published: catching typos, wrong numbers, broken formatting and inconsistent style. Spelling and grammar checkers have done part of this for years, and AI tools now catch much more. That puts proofreading closer to automation than most writing work.
The short answer: AI is taking over much routine proofreading, but final checks on text that matters still need a person. The ILO's 2025 index places coding, proofreading and related clerks in its significant-exposure band at 0.51. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics has no profile for proofreaders; the closest, editors, are projected to decline 1 percent from 2025 to 2035. Projections are estimates, not guarantees.
How exposed proofreading is
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) |
|---|---|---|
| Coding, Proofreading and Related Clerks | Gradient 3 | 0.51 |
What the BLS projects
| Occupation | Projected change 2025 to 2035 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|
| Editors (closest profile) | Decline 1% | About 7,900 |
The BLS describes copy editors as proofreading text for errors in grammar, punctuation and spelling, so proofreading sits inside editing in its data.
Proofreading tasks AI is taking on
- Spelling, grammar and punctuation errors.
- Style guide consistency, such as capitals and number formats.
- Repeated or missing words.
- First passes on long documents.
What stays with the proofreader
- Errors that look correct: a real word in the wrong place, a wrong figure, date or name.
- Checking against the source: comparing proofs with the original, tables and references.
- Layout: page breaks, captions and formatting in the final file.
- Checking the AI: AI edits can change meaning, and NIST lists confabulation, confident but wrong output, among generative AI risks (NIST AI 600-1). See checking AI output.
- High-stakes text: contracts, labels, instructions and academic or technical work where one error matters.
How the job is changing
Routine passes are becoming automatic, so proofreading work leans toward final checks, specialist subjects and reviewing AI-edited text. Proofreaders who know a field, such as legal, medical or technical documents, are better placed than generalists.
See also will AI replace writers?, will AI replace translators?, will AI replace data entry? and will AI take my job?
Pay and how to get in
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics has no separate occupation profile for this job, so there is no BLS pay or entry education figure for it. See how this job compares in AI exposure by pay and AI exposure by education level.
Questions and answers
Will AI replace proofreaders?
AI is taking over much routine proofreading, but final checks on important text still need a person. The ILO scores coding, proofreading and related clerks at 0.51, in gradient 3.
Is there BLS data for proofreaders?
Not as a separate profile. The closest, editors, are projected to decline 1 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 7,900 openings a year.
What can AI proofreading tools catch?
Spelling, grammar, punctuation, style consistency and repeated or missing words.
What proofreading work stays human?
Errors that look correct, checks against the source, final layout, reviewing AI edits and high-stakes documents.