Will lifeguards be replaced by AI?
Updated
Lifeguards score 19 of 100 for AI exposure. 67% of their task time still needs a person. AI can do 8% today and speed up another 25%.
- 8% AI can do it
- 25% AI helps
- 67% Needs a person
Low exposure
Lower than 82% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 15 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 1 of them today, speeds up 4 and leaves 10 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Complete and maintain records of weather and beach conditions, emergency medical treatments performed, and other relevant incident information. Logging conditions and incident reports is mostly text work. | 78% AI can do it |
| Warn recreational participants of inclement weather, unsafe areas, or illegal conduct. Signs and alerts help, but live warnings need a person. | 35% AI helps |
| Observe activities in assigned areas, using binoculars, to detect hazards, disturbances, or safety infractions. Camera analytics can flag hazards, but watching stays human led. | 35% AI helps |
| Provide assistance with staff selection, training, and supervision. AI helps with schedules and materials; supervising people stays human. | 35% AI helps |
| Contact emergency medical personnel in case of serious injury. Dispatch scripts help, but a person makes the call. | 30% AI helps |
| Patrol or monitor recreational areas, such as trails, slopes, or swimming areas, on foot, in vehicles, or from towers. Physical patrolling on foot or towers needs a person present. | 15% Needs a person |
| Maintain quality of pool water by testing chemical levels. Water sampling and chemical handling are physical hands-on work. | 12% Needs a person |
| Instruct participants in skiing, swimming, or other recreational activities and provide safety precaution information. Teaching skills and safety in person needs human instruction. | 10% Needs a person |
| Inspect recreational equipment, such as rope tows, T-bars, J-bars, or chair lifts, for safety hazards and damage or wear. Physical inspection of lifts and ropes needs hands-on checks. | 10% Needs a person |
| Provide assistance in the safe use of equipment, such as ski lifts. Guiding guests onto lifts is physical assistance needing presence. | 8% Needs a person |
Show the other 5 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Inspect recreational facilities for cleanliness. Visual cleanliness checks need physical presence on site. | 6% Needs a person |
| Operate underwater recovery units. Operating underwater recovery gear is hands-on physical work. | 5% Needs a person |
| Examine injured persons and administer first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, if necessary, using training and medical supplies and equipment. Hands-on injury care and CPR need trained human response. | 4% Needs a person |
| Participate in recreational demonstrations to entertain resort guests. Live performance for guests needs a person on stage. | 4% Needs a person |
| Rescue distressed persons, using rescue techniques and equipment. Hands-on water and terrain rescue requires physical presence and skill. | 3% Needs a person |
How lifeguards compare
All occupations (923)
Protective service (26)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $33,580 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 157,550 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- +5.5% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Rescue distressed swimmers and skiers with hands-on equipment
- Give first aid and CPR during medical emergencies
- Review and sign off AI-drafted incident reports in Word
- Lead staff training and supervision on every shift
- Coordinate serious injuries with EMS dispatch by radio and phone
- Send live hazard alerts to guests through GroupMe and Outlook
Safer roles nearby
5 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about lifeguards and AI
Will AI replace lifeguards?
Partly. About 2 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly logging conditions and incident records and issuing weather warnings. Rescues, first aid and supervision stay with people on duty, because they need a person physically present at the water or on the slope.
Which lifeguard tasks is AI taking over?
Recording weather, beach conditions and incident reports is the most exposed task, with an exposure score of 78, because it is mostly text work. Warning participants about weather or unsafe areas and observing zones with binoculars, both scored 35, are partly automated through signs, alerts and camera analytics.
Which lifeguard tasks stay human?
Rescuing distressed people, with an exposure score of 3, stays with lifeguards because it needs physical presence and hands-on skill. First aid and CPR, scored 4, and helping guests onto ski lifts, scored 8, also need a trained person on site.
How can lifeguards stay valuable as AI spreads?
Keep current CPR, first aid and rescue certifications, since hands-on rescue carries the lowest exposure. Review AI-drafted incident reports in Word and Excel before sign-off, lead staff training and supervision, and send live hazard alerts through GroupMe and Outlook.
Related jobs
Next steps for lifeguards
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