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AI exposure Healthcare support

Will AI replace physical therapist aides?

Physical Therapist Aides. US occupation 31-2022.

0.0%

of the time physical therapist aides spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of physical therapist aides' 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 physical therapist aidesWhat physical therapist aides no longer do alone

O*NET lists 19 tasks for physical therapist aides. AI use at work shows up in 1 of them, though too little of the job's time goes on them to register in the exposure figure. 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. Schedule patient appointments with physical therapists and coordinate therapists' schedules.Core task automated and assisted 0.72

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

18 of the 19 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • Administer active or passive manual therapeutic exercises, therapeutic massage, or heat, light, sound, water, or electrical modality treatments, such as ultrasound.Core task
  • Arrange treatment supplies to keep them in order.Core task
  • Assist patients to dress, undress, or put on and remove supportive devices, such as braces, splints, or slings.Core task
  • Change linens, such as bed sheets and pillow cases.Core task
  • Clean and organize work area and disinfect equipment after treatment.Core task
  • Confer with physical therapy staff or others to discuss and evaluate patient information for planning, modifying, or coordinating treatment.Core task
Show the other 12
  • Instruct, motivate, safeguard, or assist patients practicing exercises or functional activities, under direction of medical staff.Core task
  • Maintain equipment or furniture to keep it in good working condition, including performing the assembly or disassembly of equipment or accessories.Core task
  • Observe patients during treatment to compile and evaluate data on patients' responses and progress and report to physical therapist.Core task
  • Perform clerical duties, such as taking inventory, ordering supplies, answering telephone, taking messages, or filling out forms.Core task
  • Secure patients into or onto therapy equipment.Core task
  • Transport patients to and from treatment areas, using wheelchairs or providing standing support.Core task
  • Administer traction to relieve neck or back pain, using intermittent or static traction equipment.
  • Fit patients for orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices, adjusting fit as needed.
  • Measure patient's range-of-joint motion, body parts, or vital signs to determine effects of treatments or for patient evaluations.
  • Participate in patient care tasks, such as assisting with passing food trays, feeding residents, or bathing residents on bed rest.
  • Record treatment given and equipment used.
  • Train patients to use orthopedic braces, prostheses, or supportive devices.

How that compares

Among the 16 healthcare support occupations, physical therapist aides rank 14. The group averages 4.9%, and its most exposed job is Medical Transcriptionists at 63.7%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.

All 756 occupations, ranked

Level with 0.0%

  1. 346Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation 0.0%
  2. 346Petroleum Engineers 0.0%
  3. 346Phlebotomists 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.