Will AI replace Occupational Therapy Aides?
AI can do 10% of the work Occupational Therapy Aides do at least twice as fast. People already use it for 1 of their 15 tasks, while 1 more are ready but barely used so far. Robots can technically handle 5 physical tasks. 8 still need a person.
AI is already doing this1 · 6% of time
People already use AI for these tasks in real work, based on Anthropic's analysis of how Claude is used.
- Observe patients' attendance, progress, attitudes, and accomplishments and record and maintain information in client records.Mostly automated6% of time
AI could do this next1 · 4% of time
AI can speed these up by at least half, but real use has not caught up yet. These are next in line.
- Report to supervisors or therapists, verbally or in writing, on patients' progress, attitudes, attendance, and accomplishments.4% of time
Robots can technically do this5 · 38% of time
Physical tasks that today's robots can perform in at least some settings. Robots are cost competitive for very few tasks so far, so this change moves slower.
- Prepare and maintain work area, materials, and equipment and maintain inventory of treatment and educational supplies.Robots: purpose built settings20% of time
- Transport patients to and from the occupational therapy work area.Robots: purpose built settings8% of time
- Manage intradepartmental infection control and equipment security.Robots: purpose built settings4% of time
- Demonstrate therapy techniques, such as manual and creative arts and games.Robots: structured workplaces4% of time
- Adjust and repair assistive devices and make adaptive changes to other equipment and to environments.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time
Still needs a person8 · 52% of time
No real AI use, no proven AI speedup and no robot that can do it yet. This is the part of the job to build on.
- Perform clerical, administrative, and secretarial duties, such as answering phones, restocking and ordering supplies, filling out paperwork, and scheduling appointments.15% of time
- Encourage patients and attend to their physical needs to facilitate the attainment of therapeutic goals.14% of time
- Assist occupational therapists in planning, implementing, and administering therapy programs to restore, reinforce, and enhance performance, using selected activities and special equipment.14% of time
- Supervise patients in choosing and completing work assignments or arts and crafts projects.4% of time
- Instruct patients and families in work, social, and living skills, the care and use of adaptive equipment, and other skills to facilitate home and work adjustment to disability.3% of time
- Accompany patients on outings, providing transportation when necessary.1% of time
- Evaluate the living skills and capacities of clients with physical, developmental, or mental health disabilities.under 1% of time
- Assist educational specialists or clinical psychologists in administering situational or diagnostic tests to measure client's abilities or progress.under 1% of time
Your week is not the average
Describe what you actually do and get a personal report: your own tasks, what AI can already do, what stays yours and a 90 day plan.
What this means
Little of this work suits AI. The bigger change here is robots: today's robots can technically do 38% of the working time, though they are rarely cheap enough to replace people yet.
What to do next
- Do the 1 task AI is already handling with AI yourself. Your peers already are, and it is quickly becoming the baseline.
- Get ahead on the 1 task AI could do next. These move as tools improve, so learning them early pays off.
- Keep an eye on the 5 physical tasks robots can technically do. Cost keeps most robots out of work today, so this shift is slower.
- Build on the 8 tasks that stay human. This is where your judgment, skill and relationships matter most.
Related jobs
Get the weekly brief
One short email a week on how AI is changing work, including jobs like this one.