Will biochemists be replaced by AI?
Updated
Biochemists score 44 of 100 for AI exposure. The largest share of their task time, 72%, is work AI speeds up while they stay in charge. AI can take over 5% outright, and 23% stays with people.
- 5% AI can do it
- 72% AI helps
- 23% Needs a person
Moderate exposure
Higher than 60% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 24 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 1 of them today, speeds up 17 and leaves 6 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Prepare reports or recommendations, based upon research outcomes. AI can draft research reports from results; person reviews accuracy. | 62% AI can do it |
| Share research findings by writing scientific articles or by making presentations at scientific conferences. AI drafts manuscripts and slides; scientist is responsible for findings and claims. | 55% AI helps |
| Write grant proposals to obtain funding for research. AI drafts proposal sections and budgets; PI shapes the science. | 55% AI helps |
| Determine the three-dimensional structure of biological macromolecules. Structure prediction software speeds work; crystallography and cryo-EM remain physical. | 40% AI helps |
| Investigate the nature, composition, or expression of genes or research how genetic engineering can impact these processes. AI aids gene sequence analysis and design; experiments validate results. | 40% AI helps |
| Develop new methods to study the mechanisms of biological processes. AI helps design methods and literature synthesis; validation is experimental. | 35% AI helps |
| Study spatial configurations of submicroscopic molecules, such as proteins, using x-rays or electron microscopes. Software aids imaging and data processing; instrument work stays manual. | 35% AI helps |
| Study the chemistry of living processes, such as cell development, breathing and digestion, or living energy changes, such as growth, aging, or death. Literature synthesis and data analysis aided; biology experiments remain hands-on. | 35% AI helps |
| Study the mutations in organisms that lead to cancer or other diseases. Sequence analysis and mutation databases aided by AI; lab validation needed. | 35% AI helps |
| Research the chemical effects of substances, such as drugs, serums, hormones, or food, on tissues or vital processes. AI analyzes toxicity and assay data; wet lab testing still required. | 35% AI helps |
Show the other 14 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Examine the molecular or chemical aspects of immune system functioning. AI helps analyze immune data and models; wet lab confirms results. | 35% AI helps |
| Research how characteristics of plants or animals are carried through successive generations. Genetic data analysis and pattern modeling aided; breeding and field work manual. | 35% AI helps |
| Study physical principles of living cells or organisms and their electrical or mechanical energy, applying methods and knowledge of mathematics, physics, chemistry, or biology. Modeling and analysis aided by AI; experimental physics stays hands-on. | 30% AI helps |
| Develop or test new drugs or medications intended for commercial distribution. AI aids candidate screening and trial data; clinical testing is human. | 30% AI helps |
| Research transformations of substances in cells, using atomic isotopes. Isotope tracing data analysis aided; labeling experiments are manual. | 25% AI helps |
| Develop or execute tests to detect diseases, genetic disorders, or other abnormalities. Assay design helped by AI; test execution is physical lab work. | 25% AI helps |
| Develop methods to process, store, or use foods, drugs, or chemical compounds. AI can suggest process parameters; pilot testing and equipment are physical. | 25% AI helps |
| Teach or advise undergraduate or graduate students or supervise their research. Mentoring is human; AI helps with materials and feedback drafts. | 20% AI helps |
| Design or perform experiments with equipment, such as lasers, accelerators, or mass spectrometers. Operating lasers and mass spectrometers is hands-on physical work. | 18% Needs a person |
| Isolate, analyze, or synthesize vitamins, hormones, allergens, minerals, or enzymes and determine their effects on body functions. Isolating and synthesizing compounds is hands-on bench chemistry. | 18% Needs a person |
| Produce pharmaceutically or industrially useful proteins, using recombinant DNA technology. Recombinant protein production relies on hands-on cell culture work. | 18% Needs a person |
| Manage laboratory teams or monitor the quality of a team's work. Team leadership and quality oversight need in-person judgement. | 15% Needs a person |
| Design or build laboratory equipment needed for special research projects. Building custom physical equipment requires hands-on fabrication skill. | 15% Needs a person |
| Prepare pharmaceutical compounds for commercial distribution. Compounding pharmaceuticals is physical, regulated manufacturing work. | 10% Needs a person |
How biochemists compare
All occupations (923)
Life, physical and social science (60)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $127,410 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 33,830 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- +12.3% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Solve 3D protein structures with crystallography and cryo-EM
- Run gene sequence analysis in Python and R
- Analyze experimental data in SAS and IBM SPSS Statistics
- Keep reproducible records in electronic lab notebook software
- Isolate and synthesize enzymes and hormones at the bench
- Manage laboratory teams and sign off on research quality
Safer roles nearby
5 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about biochemists and AI
Will AI replace biochemists?
Partly. About 3 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly drafting research reports and writing scientific articles and grant proposals. Experiments, instrument work, and the scientific claims themselves stay with people.
Which biochemist tasks is AI taking over?
Preparing research reports scores 62 on exposure, the highest in this job, because AI can draft reports from results while a person checks accuracy. Writing grant proposals scores 55, since AI drafts proposal sections and budgets while the principal investigator shapes the science.
Which biochemist tasks stay human?
Isolating and synthesizing vitamins, hormones, or enzymes scores 18 on exposure and stays with people because it is hands-on bench chemistry. Operating lasers and mass spectrometers also scores 18 and needs physical skill at the instrument. Designing custom lab equipment scores 15 because fabrication requires hands-on work.
How can biochemists stay valuable?
Run experiments that validate AI-predicted structures using cryo-EM or crystallography. Keep hands-on work in enzyme isolation and recombinant protein production. Use Python, R, or SAS to analyze data, and check AI-drafted manuscripts before submission. Lead a lab team and take responsibility for the quality of its results.
Related jobs
Next steps for biochemists
Check which roles in your team AI can take on
We map your team's tasks, show what AI can do today and build the automations that pay back first.
Related topics
- Jobs AI can't replaceCement masons score lowest, at 8.
- Jobs most at risk from AIProofreaders score highest, at 76.
- High-paying jobs with low AI exposureRadiologists earn a median $420,860 and score 46.
- Entry-level jobs with low AI exposureCement masons need little prior training and score 8.
- Jobs AI speeds up the mostFor natural sciences managers, AI speeds up 96% of task time.
- AI and jobs in Malta15 iGaming roles graded task by task.
- Skills that keep work humanThe skills to build in the jobs AI changes least.
- Jobs A to ZEvery job we publish, by first letter.
- AI exposure by industryAverage scores for 22 occupation groups.
- Write a CV screening software can readHow applicant tracking systems read a CV, and what to change.
- AI for businessesThe tasks to automate first in each team and industry.
- How we score AI exposureThe grading, the weights and every source.