AI exposure Healthcare practitioners and technical
Will AI replace general internal medicine physicians?
General Internal Medicine Physicians. US occupation 29-1216.
The reading
8.4%
of the time general internal medicine physicians spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of general internal medicine physicians' working hours go on tasks AI has already started taking off their plate.
Ranked 201 of 756 US occupations. More exposed than 73% of them.Further along than 73% of them.
Per cent of working time Square-law scale
Average US job 7.7%
Well above the typical job.Ahead of most of the workforce.
What AI already does for general internal medicine physiciansWhat general internal medicine physicians no longer do alone
O*NET lists 19 tasks for general internal medicine physicians. AI use at work shows up in 3 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.
- Analyze records, reports, test results, or examination information to diagnose medical condition of patient.Core task mostly automated 0.96
- Explain procedures and discuss test results or prescribed treatments with patients.Core task mostly automated 0.85
- Collect, record, and maintain patient information, such as medical history, reports, or examination results.Core task automated and assisted 0.72
What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human
16 of the 19 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.
- Advise patients and community members concerning diet, activity, hygiene, and disease prevention.Core task
- Advise surgeon of a patient's risk status and recommend appropriate intervention to minimize risk.Core task
- Direct and coordinate activities of nurses, students, assistants, specialists, therapists, and other medical staff.Core task
- Immunize patients to protect them from preventable diseases.Core task
- Make diagnoses when different illnesses occur together or in situations where the diagnosis may be obscure.Core task
- Manage and treat common health problems, such as infections, influenza or pneumonia, as well as serious, chronic, and complex illnesses, in adolescents, adults, and the elderly.Core task
Show the other 10
- Monitor patients' conditions and progress and reevaluate treatments as necessary.Core task
- Prepare government or organizational reports on birth, death, and disease statistics, workforce evaluations, or the medical status of individuals.Core task
- Prescribe or administer medication, therapy, and other specialized medical care to treat or prevent illness, disease, or injury.Core task
- Provide and manage long-term, comprehensive medical care, including diagnosis and nonsurgical treatment of diseases, for adult patients in an office or hospital.Core task
- Provide consulting services to other doctors caring for patients with special or difficult problems.Core task
- Refer patient to medical specialist or other practitioner when necessary.Core task
- Treat internal disorders, such as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, or problems of the lung, brain, kidney, or gastrointestinal tract.Core task
- Conduct research to develop or test medications, treatments, or procedures to prevent or control disease or injury.
- Operate on patients to remove, repair, or improve functioning of diseased or injured body parts and systems.
- Plan, implement, or administer health programs in hospitals, businesses, or communities for prevention and treatment of injuries or illnesses.
How that compares
Among the 65 healthcare practitioners and technical occupations, general internal medicine physicians rank 10. The group averages 4.1%, and its most exposed job is Medical Records Specialists at 66.7%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.
Just above in the ranking
- 198Pharmacists 9.0%
- 199Electrical and Electronics Drafters 8.9%
- 200Cashiers 8.5%
Just below
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.