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Protective Services · Updated Aug 2026

Security Guards

Guard, patrol, or monitor premises to prevent theft, violence, or infractions of rules. May operate x-ray and metal detector equipment.

JVS 2.0.0-phase4b
AI Exposure
54/100
Moderate

How much of this occupation’s work can be materially affected by current AI systems.

Replacement Risk
45/100
Moderate

How likely exposure is to translate into reduced human demand.

Includes provisional estimates for AI adoption pressure and labour-market resilience. How this is measured

Evidence quality
Confidence83/100
Task coverage89%

Confidence reflects task coverage, mapping and capability-evidence quality, and how much of the score rests on provisional inputs.

Task-level evidence

What is driving the score?

Occupation scores are built from the task mix—not a single prediction about a job title.

JVS 2.0.0-phase4b
TaskImportanceAI impactExposure
Circulate among visitors, patrons, or employees to preserve order and protect property.High
73
Lock doors and gates of entrances and exits to secure buildings.High
73
Answer telephone calls to take messages, answer questions, and provide information during non-business hours or when switchboard is closed.High
73
Write reports of daily activities and irregularities, such as equipment or property damage, theft, presence of unauthorized persons, or unusual occurrences.High
71
Warn persons of rule infractions or violations, and apprehend or evict violators from premises, using force when necessary.High
73
Respond to medical emergencies by administering basic first aid or by obtaining assistance from paramedics.High
73
Inspect and adjust security systems, equipment, or machinery to ensure operational use and to detect evidence of tampering.High
47
Monitor and authorize entrance and departure of employees, visitors, and other persons to guard against theft and maintain security of premises.High
31
Operate detecting devices to screen individuals and prevent passage of prohibited articles into restricted areas.High
36
Patrol industrial or commercial premises to prevent and detect signs of intrusion and ensure security of doors, windows, and gates.High
20
Escort or drive motor vehicle to transport individuals to specified locations or to provide personal protection.Medium
14
Most exposed

Where AI can do more

Routine, digitized, and highly repeatable tasks face the greatest pressure.

  1. Circulate among visitors, patrons, or employees to preserve order and protect property.73
  2. Lock doors and gates of entrances and exits to secure buildings.73
  3. Answer telephone calls to take messages, answer questions, and provide information during non-business hours or when switchboard is closed.73
  4. Warn persons of rule infractions or violations, and apprehend or evict violators from premises, using force when necessary.73
Hardest to automate

Where people still matter

These tasks score lowest on automation feasibility—physical presence, judgement, accountability and real-world variability all resist end-to-end automation.

  1. Escort or drive motor vehicle to transport individuals to specified locations or to provide personal protection.01
  2. Patrol industrial or commercial premises to prevent and detect signs of intrusion and ensure security of doors, windows, and gates.02
  3. Monitor and authorize entrance and departure of employees, visitors, and other persons to guard against theft and maintain security of premises.03
  4. Operate detecting devices to screen individuals and prevent passage of prohibited articles into restricted areas.04
  5. Inspect and adjust security systems, equipment, or machinery to ensure operational use and to detect evidence of tampering.05
Where else this work leads

Related occupations

Occupations O*NET links to this one. Relatedness reflects shared work, not a claim that these roles are safer.

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Beyond AI capability

Adoption and labour-market outlook

Structural factors are kept separate from raw capability so you can see what actually resists automation. Adoption pressure and labour-market resilience are still provisional models—25% of this occupation’s replacement-risk weight rests on them.

Human dependency89
Physical dependency56
Adoption pressure60
Labour-market resilience70
Methodology & sources

O*NET 30.3 occupational data interpreted through the JobsVsAI capability, automation and structural-constraint models.

Confidence83/100
CalculatedAug 21, 2026
Read methodology →