Will AI replace Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products?
The Stanford WORKBank study rates tasks, not whole jobs, so it cannot say whether any one job disappears. What it shows: AI experts rate 5 of the 9 studied Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products tasks as do-able by AI today, and 3 of those are tasks workers also want automated.
of tasks in the Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products role are ones AI can already do, per AI experts.
From a Stanford study where AI experts and purchasing agents, except wholesale, retail, and farm products workers rated each real task (O*NET). Not a guess from the job title.
Key statistics
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- AI can already do 56% of the 9 work tasks in the Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products role, according to AI experts in the Stanford WORKBank study (O*NET SOC 13-1023.00).
- Workers in the Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products role rate 44% of their tasks 3 or higher out of 5 for wanting them automated (Stanford WORKBank, 1,500 U.S. workers).
- 3 of 9 Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products tasks are Automation Green Light, wanted by workers and do-able by AI, that is 33% of the role (Stanford WORKBank).
- The typical Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products task scores 2.86/5 for worker desire to automate and 3.42/5 for AI capability today (Stanford WORKBank, 1-5 scale).
Top tasks to automate
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- Analyze price proposals, financial reports, and other data and information to determine reasonable prices.
- Study sales records and inventory levels of current stock to develop strategic purchasing programs that facilitate employee access to supplies.
- Review catalogs, industry periodicals, directories, trade journals, and Internet sites and consult with other department personnel to locate necessary goods and services.
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What workers told Stanford
Of the 9 tasks studied for Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products, 3 (33%) are in the Automation Green Light zone, AI can largely do them and workers want it. Across all tasks, workers rate 44% of their tasks 3 or higher out of 5 for wanting them automated. The typical task scores 2.86/5 for worker desire and 3.42/5 for AI capability.
All 9 tasks, most-wanted first
Review catalogs, industry periodicals, directories, trade journals, and Internet sites and consult with other department personnel to locate necessary goods and services.
Green Lightwant 3.14 · AI 3.5Analyze price proposals, financial reports, and other data and information to determine reasonable prices.
Green Lightwant 3.13 · AI 4Study sales records and inventory levels of current stock to develop strategic purchasing programs that facilitate employee access to supplies.
Green Lightwant 3 · AI 4Prepare purchase orders, solicit bid proposals, and review requisitions for goods and services.
R&D Opportunitywant 3 · AI 3Maintain and review computerized or manual records of purchased items, costs, deliveries, product performance, and inventories.
Low Prioritywant 2.8 · AI 3.25Write and review product specifications, maintaining a working technical knowledge of the goods or services to be purchased.
Low Prioritywant 2.71 · AI 2.67Monitor shipments to ensure that goods come in on time, and resolve problems related to undelivered goods.
Red Lightwant 2.7 · AI 4Monitor and follow applicable laws and regulations.
Red Lightwant 2.67 · AI 3.67Research and evaluate suppliers, based on price, quality, selection, service, support, availability, reliability, production and distribution capabilities, and the supplier's reputation and history.
Low Prioritywant 2.57 · AI 2.67
Related occupations
Other Business and Financial Operations roles in the Stanford WORKBank study, closest AI-capability share first.
- FundraisersAI can do 50% of tasks today · workers want 80% automated
- Logistics AnalystsAI can do 63% of tasks today · workers want 31% automated
- Sustainability SpecialistsAI can do 63% of tasks today · workers want 50% automated
- Human Resources SpecialistsAI can do 45% of tasks today · workers want 27% automated
- Financial Quantitative AnalystsAI can do 67% of tasks today · workers want 100% automated
- Training and Development SpecialistsAI can do 40% of tasks today · workers want 70% automated
Lower-automation alternatives
Less of these jobs is automatable today: AI experts rate a smaller share of their tasks as doable than the 56% for Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products (Stanford WORKBank).
Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products ranks #51 of 104 studied roles by the share of tasks AI experts rate as do-able today. See which roles top and bottom the list in the most automatable jobs in 2026.