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AI exposure Healthcare practitioners and technical

Will AI replace optometrists?

Optometrists. US occupation 29-1041.

0.0%

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

Ranked 346 of 756 US occupations. No AI use seen in the work yet, along with 410 other occupations.No handover started yet, along with 410 other occupations.

Average US job 7.7%

Among the least exposed jobs there are.Still waiting for liberation.

What AI already does for optometristsWhat optometrists no longer do alone

O*NET lists 10 tasks for optometrists. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

10 of the 10 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • Analyze test results and develop a treatment plan.Core task
  • Consult with and refer patients to ophthalmologist or other health care practitioner if additional medical treatment is determined necessary.Core task
  • Educate and counsel patients on contact lens care, visual hygiene, lighting arrangements, and safety factors.Core task
  • Examine eyes, using observation, instruments, and pharmaceutical agents, to determine visual acuity and perception, focus, and coordination and to diagnose diseases and other abnormalities, such as glaucoma or color blindness.Core task
  • Prescribe medications to treat eye diseases if state laws permit.Core task
  • Prescribe therapeutic procedures to correct or conserve vision.Core task
Show the other 4
  • Prescribe, supply, fit and adjust eyeglasses, contact lenses, and other vision aids.Core task
  • Provide patients undergoing eye surgeries, such as cataract and laser vision correction, with pre- and post-operative care.Core task
  • Provide vision therapy and low-vision rehabilitation.Core task
  • Remove foreign bodies from the eye.Core task

How that compares

Among the 65 healthcare practitioners and technical occupations, optometrists rank 45. 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%.

All 756 occupations, ranked

Level with 0.0%

  1. 346Ophthalmic Medical Technicians 0.0%
  2. 346Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric 0.0%
  3. 346Opticians, Dispensing 0.0%

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.