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AI exposure Life, physical and social science

Will AI replace biochemists and biophysicists?

Biochemists and Biophysicists. US occupation 19-1021.

7.6%

of the time biochemists and biophysicists spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of biochemists and biophysicists' working hours go on tasks AI has already started taking off their plate.

Ranked 209 of 756 US occupations. More exposed than 72% of them.Further along than 72% of them.

Average US job 7.7%

Well above the typical job.Ahead of most of the workforce.

What AI already does for biochemists and biophysicistsWhat biochemists and biophysicists no longer do alone

O*NET lists 24 tasks for biochemists and biophysicists. AI use at work shows up in 2 of them. Each score runs from 0.5, where every observed use helps a person with the task, to 1, where every use does the task outright.

  1. Study the mutations in organisms that lead to cancer or other diseases.Core task mostly automated 0.99
  2. Prepare reports or recommendations, based upon research outcomes.Core task mostly automated 0.89

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

22 of the 24 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • Design or build laboratory equipment needed for special research projects.Core task
  • Design or perform experiments with equipment, such as lasers, accelerators, or mass spectrometers.Core task
  • Determine the three-dimensional structure of biological macromolecules.Core task
  • Develop new methods to study the mechanisms of biological processes.Core task
  • Develop or execute tests to detect diseases, genetic disorders, or other abnormalities.Core task
  • Develop or test new drugs or medications intended for commercial distribution.Core task
Show the other 16
  • Examine the molecular or chemical aspects of immune system functioning.Core task
  • Isolate, analyze, or synthesize vitamins, hormones, allergens, minerals, or enzymes and determine their effects on body functions.Core task
  • Manage laboratory teams or monitor the quality of a team's work.Core task
  • Research how characteristics of plants or animals are carried through successive generations.Core task
  • Research the chemical effects of substances, such as drugs, serums, hormones, or food, on tissues or vital processes.Core task
  • Research transformations of substances in cells, using atomic isotopes.Core task
  • Share research findings by writing scientific articles or by making presentations at scientific conferences.Core task
  • Study physical principles of living cells or organisms and their electrical or mechanical energy, applying methods and knowledge of mathematics, physics, chemistry, or biology.Core task
  • Study spatial configurations of submicroscopic molecules, such as proteins, using x-rays or electron microscopes.Core task
  • Study the chemistry of living processes, such as cell development, breathing and digestion, or living energy changes, such as growth, aging, or death.Core task
  • Teach or advise undergraduate or graduate students or supervise their research.Core task
  • Write grant proposals to obtain funding for research.Core task
  • Develop methods to process, store, or use foods, drugs, or chemical compounds.
  • Investigate the nature, composition, or expression of genes or research how genetic engineering can impact these processes.
  • Prepare pharmaceutical compounds for commercial distribution.
  • Produce pharmaceutically or industrially useful proteins, using recombinant DNA technology.

How that compares

Among the 46 life, physical and social science occupations, biochemists and biophysicists rank 21. The group averages 12.2%, and its most exposed job is Political Scientists at 45.2%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.

All 756 occupations, ranked

Just above in the ranking

  1. 206Demonstrators and Product Promoters 7.9%
  2. 207Architects, Except Landscape and Naval 7.8%
  3. 207Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians 7.8%

Just below

  1. 210Aerospace Engineers 7.5%
  2. 210Hydrologists 7.5%
  3. 210Order Clerks 7.5%

What this does and does not mean

Exposure is observed use, not a forecast. Anthropic maps work conversations with Claude onto the tasks O*NET lists for each job and asks, of the tasks AI could speed up, which are actually being used for at work. A use that does the task outright counts in full and a use that assists a person counts half. The task scores are averaged into the occupation figure by the share of time spent on each task.

A high figure means AI is already part of how this work gets done. It does not mean anyone has been replaced. Anthropic's own reading of the labour market finds no systematic rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting exposed jobs.No measurable rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting these jobs. Gap years for everyone. Labor market impacts, 5 March 2026.

Task list and titles from O*NET 31.0 by the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. Scores from the Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Checked 1 November 2026. How the ranking works.