Will AI replace Optometrists?

AI can do 14% of the work Optometrists do at least twice as fast. Real use has not caught up: none of their tasks show up in real AI use yet, but AI could speed up 1 of them. 9 still need a person.

AI is already doing this0 · 0% of time

People already use AI for these tasks in real work, based on Anthropic's analysis of how Claude is used.

  • Real AI use has not reached any of this job's tasks yet.

AI could do this next1 · 14% of time

AI can speed these up by at least half, but real use has not caught up yet. These are next in line.

  • Analyze test results and develop a treatment plan.14% of time

Still needs a person9 · 86% 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.

  • 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.43% of time
  • Prescribe, supply, fit and adjust eyeglasses, contact lenses, and other vision aids.16% of time
  • Educate and counsel patients on contact lens care, visual hygiene, lighting arrangements, and safety factors.8% of time
  • Provide patients undergoing eye surgeries, such as cataract and laser vision correction, with pre- and post-operative care.5% of time
  • Prescribe medications to treat eye diseases if state laws permit.4% of time
  • Consult with and refer patients to ophthalmologist or other health care practitioner if additional medical treatment is determined necessary.3% of time
  • Prescribe therapeutic procedures to correct or conserve vision.3% of time
  • Provide vision therapy and low-vision rehabilitation.3% of time
  • Remove foreign bodies from the eye.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.

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What this means

Little of this work suits AI or today's robots. Most tasks depend on hands, presence or people skills.

What to do next

  • Get ahead on the 1 task AI could do next. These move as tools improve, so learning them early pays off.
  • Build on the 9 tasks that stay human. This is where your judgment, skill and relationships matter most.
Nurse Anesthetists14%Prosthodontists15%Dentists, General16%Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons16%Anesthesiologist Assistants16%Dental Hygienists16%

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