What this occupation does
Computer and information research scientists design innovative uses for new and existing computing technology, inventing and improving algorithms, programming languages, and computing methods. The role spans fundamental and applied research, mathematical modelling, system and software design, and translating theory into working technology, with much of the current research frontier focused on artificial intelligence and machine learning.
The exposure score in context
The ILO 2025 refined Generative AI Occupational Exposure Index places computer and information research scientists in the moderate exposure gradient. ILO 2025 places computer and information research scientists in the moderate exposure gradient. Routine implementation, code generation, and literature synthesis are highly exposed to current generative AI; novel algorithm design, theoretical work, and research direction under uncertainty are augmentation-prone but not displaceable at task level.
The mapping uses ISCO-08 code 2511 (BLS-published SOC-to-ISCO crosswalk). The full methodology, including the dominant-match rule for one-to-many crosswalks, is at /methodology/#algorithm.
The top five tasks, classified
The top five O*NET 30.2 tasks for this occupation, each tagged Displaceable / Changing / Growing per the Brookings 2024 task-level rubric. The tag definitions are at /glossary/#displaceable-task, /glossary/#changing-task, and /glossary/#growing-task.
- Growing: Apply theoretical expertise and innovation to create or apply new technology, such as adapting principles for applying computers to new uses. Frontier research and novel technology creation are the least substitutable tasks and grow as AI absorbs more routine implementation.
- Changing: Conduct logical analyses of business, scientific, engineering, and other technical problems, formulating mathematical models of problems for solution by computers. AI assists with modelling and code generation; problem formulation and model choice remain human judgement.
- Changing: Analyze problems to develop solutions involving computer hardware and software. AI-augmented analysis accelerates exploration; synthesising a novel solution to an open problem remains human-led.
- Changing: Design computers and the software that runs them. Generative AI produces draft designs and implementation code; architecture and correctness judgement stay with the scientist.
- Growing: Meet with managers, vendors, and others to solicit cooperation and resolve problems. Cross-team research coordination is augmentation-prone per Brookings 2024 and grows in importance as AI handles more discrete execution.
What is growing in this role
The BLS Employment Projections 2025-2035 outlook for computer and information research scientists is much faster than average (+22% projected change). Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-2035.
Per the WEF Future of Jobs Report 2025, the top three growing skills relevant to this role are: AI and big data, Analytical thinking, Technological literacy. The skills are mapped to the occupation's O*NET skills profile.
Brookings 2024 finds research and innovation tasks among the least exposed to substitution; routine implementation and code generation are exposed, while novel algorithm design, theoretical work, and cross-team research direction are augmentation-prone.
Computer and Information Research Scientists in the WEF Future of Jobs Report 2025
The WEF Future of Jobs Report 2025 ranks AI and machine learning specialists among its fastest-growing roles to 2030; computer and information research scientists are the BLS occupation most directly aligned with that frontier-AI research demand, which BLS itself attributes to AI as the main driver of the role's projected growth. Source: World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025 (January 2025). The WEF lists are occupation-family level and global, ranked by change to 2030; they are distinct from the BLS 2025-2035 US projection above. The full named growing and declining lists are on what is growing.
Similar occupations
O*NET 30.2 lists the following related roles. Each links to its own deep dive where one is published.
- Software Developers
- Computer Systems Analysts
- Data Scientists
- Financial Analysts
- Project Management Specialists
- Computer and Information Systems Managers
Industry context
This role sits primarily in the Technology industry. The industry-level rollup includes the cross-occupation exposure profile and the BLS-published industry-level outlook.
How this assessment was made
The full methodology is at /methodology/: ILO 2025 refined index for the gradient, Brookings 2024 rubric for the task tags, BLS 2025-2035 for the growth outlook, WEF 2025 for the skills demand. The pre-empted critiques are at /how-to-argue-with-this/.