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AI exposure Healthcare practitioners and technical

Will AI replace respiratory therapists?

Respiratory Therapists. US occupation 29-1126.

0.0%

of the time respiratory therapists spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of respiratory therapists' 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 respiratory therapistsWhat respiratory therapists no longer do alone

O*NET lists 22 tasks for respiratory therapists. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

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

  • Conduct tests, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs), stress testing, or lung capacity tests, to evaluate patients' cardiopulmonary functions.Core task
  • Demonstrate respiratory care procedures to trainees or other healthcare personnel.Core task
  • Determine requirements for treatment, such as type, method and duration of therapy, precautions to be taken, or medication and dosages, compatible with physicians' orders.Core task
  • Educate patients and their families about their conditions and teach appropriate disease management techniques, such as breathing exercises or the use of medications or respiratory equipment.Core task
  • Enforce safety rules and ensure careful adherence to physicians' orders.Core task
  • Explain treatment procedures to patients to gain cooperation and allay fears.Core task
Show the other 16
  • Inspect, clean, test, and maintain respiratory therapy equipment to ensure equipment is functioning safely and efficiently, ordering repairs when necessary.Core task
  • Maintain charts that contain patients' pertinent identification and therapy information.Core task
  • Make emergency visits to resolve equipment problems.Core task
  • Monitor cardiac patients, using electrocardiography devices, such as a holter monitor.Core task
  • Monitor patient's physiological responses to therapy, such as vital signs, arterial blood gases, or blood chemistry changes, and consult with physician if adverse reactions occur.Core task
  • Perform bronchopulmonary drainage and assist or instruct patients in performance of breathing exercises.Core task
  • Perform endotracheal intubation to maintain open airways for patients who are unable to breathe on their own.Core task
  • Perform pulmonary function and adjust equipment to obtain optimum results in therapy.Core task
  • Provide emergency care, such as artificial respiration, external cardiac massage, or assistance with cardiopulmonary resuscitation.Core task
  • Read prescription, measure arterial blood gases, and review patient information to assess patient condition.Core task
  • Relay blood analysis results to a physician.Core task
  • Set up and operate devices, such as mechanical ventilators, therapeutic gas administration apparatus, environmental control systems, or aerosol generators, following specified parameters of treatment.Core task
  • Teach, train, supervise, or use the assistance of students, respiratory therapy technicians, or assistants.Core task
  • Transport patients to the hospital or within the hospital.Core task
  • Use a variety of testing techniques to assist doctors in cardiac or pulmonary research or to diagnose disorders.Core task
  • Work as part of a team of physicians, nurses, or other healthcare professionals to manage patient care by assisting with medical procedures or related duties.Core task

How that compares

Among the 65 healthcare practitioners and technical occupations, respiratory therapists rank 61. 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. 346Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors 0.0%
  2. 346Rehabilitation Counselors 0.0%
  3. 346Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers 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.