Nearly half of all jobs in Indiana could be replaced by automation, the third-highest total in the nation, according to a new study.

UK-based automation parts distributor CJS Automation released the study that shows that 47.57% of Indiana jobs are at risk.

Most of the 1.4 million jobs at risk are in manufacturing and other sectors where jobs are comprised of performing one repetitive task, such as packing, scanning and moving items from one place to another.

Automation in production can mean many things. It can take the form of robotic components capable of moving items across a space, to computerized systems that control production conditions and quality.

Some at-risk jobs may be transformed rather than eliminated. CJS explained what automation means, and what it takes to utilize automated systems.

“Controllers manage sequences, drives regulate motor speeds, and sensors monitor operating conditions,” CJS stated. “Skilled people set up these systems, investigate faults and keep machinery productive.”

The Indiana Manufacturers Association has a positive outlook on the integration of automation in manufacturing, believing manufacturing will benefit from automation, according to Andrew Berger, president and CEO of the association.

"Automation helps Indiana manufacturers compete globally," said Berger. "This leads to more growth and more manufacturing jobs. Currently there are more than 20,000 open manufacturing jobs in Indiana. Automation increases productivity and improves safety. Automation also requires a higher skilled workforce. Many of the most in-demand production job classifications are directly related to operating and maintaining production equipment."

Indiana is home to more than 100,000 workers in the “Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers” division, the division with the most individuals, according to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.

After these jobs come “Fast Food and Counter Workers,” at close to 100,000 individuals, and “Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators” at almost 84,000 people.

The Indiana Chamber of Commerce shared in a statement to The Center Square, that it advocates for a measured approach as Indiana jobs change.

“We know that the rapid growth of artificial intelligence and automation will significantly reshape how work is performed," said President and CEO Vanessa Green Sinders. "The jobs of the future will demand a more highly skilled workforce, not a less skilled one. Indiana is well positioned to lead in this new era, but doing so will require continued alignment between education, workforce training and talent development systems. We must ensure that individuals can quickly access opportunities to gain new skills, adapt to changing workplace demands and continue learning as technology evolves."

The research compared data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics with a 2013 probability study conducted by Oxford University’s Carl Benedikt Frey and Michael Osborne.

Indiana placed third highest in the U.S. for risk of job replacement, topped by South Dakota at 48.65%, and Nevada at 48.79%.

The move to automation, however, does not have one single trajectory.

In September, Amazon announced a new robotics manufacturing plant in Indiana that is projected to bring 300 jobs to the Greenwood area.

“This is what human-centered automation can look like,” Humans First stated in a post. “Technology that raises productivity while people stay at the center of how it’s built and run. The future of automation should create opportunity for people, not leave people behind.”

Humans First is a group that advocates for measured integration of AI to benefit average people.