Will ophthalmologists be replaced by AI?
Updated
Ophthalmologists score 33 of 100 for AI exposure. The largest share of their task time, 68%, is work AI speeds up while they stay in charge. AI can take over 6% outright, and 26% stays with people.
- 6% AI can do it
- 68% AI helps
- 26% Needs a person
Moderate exposure
Lower than 57% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 18 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 1 of them today, speeds up 12 and leaves 5 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Document or evaluate patients' medical histories. Ambient AI scribes can draft histories and notes; clinician reviews. | 70% AI can do it |
| Educate patients about maintenance and promotion of healthy vision. AI can draft patient education materials; clinician reviews and delivers them. | 60% AI helps |
| Conduct clinical or laboratory-based research in ophthalmology. AI speeds literature review and data analysis; lab work stays manual. | 55% AI helps |
| Develop or implement plans and procedures for ophthalmologic services. AI can draft protocols and service plans; leadership decides. | 45% AI helps |
| Develop treatment plans based on patients' histories and goals, the nature and severity of disorders, and treatment risks and benefits. AI can lay out options and risks; physician weighs patient goals. | 45% AI helps |
| Perform, order, or interpret the results of diagnostic or clinical tests. AI can read imaging and test outputs; clinician performs and confirms. | 45% AI helps |
| Prescribe or administer topical or systemic medications to treat ophthalmic conditions and to manage pain. AI can check prescriptions and interactions; drug administration stays physical. | 35% AI helps |
| Provide ophthalmic consultation to other medical professionals. AI can draft consult notes; clinician gives the live opinion. | 35% AI helps |
| Perform comprehensive examinations of the visual system to determine the nature or extent of ocular disorders. AI aids history and results; hands on testing stays in person. | 30% AI helps |
| Refer patients for more specialized treatments when conditions exceed the experience, expertise, or scope of practice of practitioner. AI can flag cases and draft referral letters; physician decides. | 30% AI helps |
Show the other 8 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Prescribe corrective lenses such as glasses or contact lenses. AI can help compute lens powers; refraction is done in person. | 30% AI helps |
| Diagnose or treat injuries, disorders, or diseases of the eye and eye structures including the cornea, sclera, conjunctiva, or eyelids. AI can support diagnosis from records; treatment needs in person exams. | 28% AI helps |
| Prescribe ophthalmologic treatments or therapies such as chemotherapy, cryotherapy, or low vision therapy. AI can suggest therapy options; delivering treatments stays hands on. | 25% AI helps |
| Provide or direct the provision of postoperative care. Wound checks and in person follow up dominate postoperative care. | 18% Needs a person |
| Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams of health professionals to provide optimal patient care. Live coordination with staff and teams is interpersonal work. | 15% Needs a person |
| Instruct interns, residents, or others in ophthalmologic procedures and techniques. Teaching procedures happens hands on at the bedside and in surgery. | 10% Needs a person |
| Perform ophthalmic surgeries such as cataract, glaucoma, refractive, corneal, vitro-retinal, eye muscle, or oculoplastic surgeries. Surgery is hands on work in the operating room. | 4% Needs a person |
| Perform laser surgeries to alter, remove, reshape, or replace ocular tissue. Laser procedures need hands on physical operation of equipment. | 3% Needs a person |
How ophthalmologists compare
All occupations (923)
Healthcare practitioners and technical (89)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $300,080 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 8,950 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- +4.5% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Read OCT and fundus imaging outputs in eClinicalWorks EHR software
- Plan cataract, glaucoma, and refractive surgery in Epic Systems
- Hold a current ophthalmology board certification from the ABO
- Teach residents hands on surgical technique in the operating room
- Run postoperative wound checks and in person follow up visits
- Review AI-drafted treatment options against patient goals and risks
Safer roles nearby
5 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about ophthalmologists and AI
Will AI replace ophthalmologists?
Partly. About 3 in 10 working hours for an ophthalmologist go to tasks AI can already do, mostly documenting patients' medical histories and drafting patient education. Surgery, laser procedures, teaching in the operating room and postoperative care stay with the physician, because they need a person working on a patient's eye.
Which ophthalmologist tasks is AI taking over?
History documentation scores 70 on exposure, the highest in the job, because ambient AI scribes can draft histories and notes for the clinician to review. Patient education also scores 60, since AI can draft handouts that the physician checks and delivers. Literature review and data analysis for clinical research, scoring 55, speed up as well.
Which ophthalmologist tasks stay human?
Laser surgery scores 3 and ophthalmic surgery scores 4, the lowest in the job, because both require hands on operation of equipment in the eye. Teaching procedures scores 10, since residents learn technique at the bedside and in surgery. Postoperative care scores 18 because wound checks and in person follow up dominate it.
How can ophthalmologists stay valuable as AI takes on documentation?
Spend the hours AI frees on surgical volume, teaching residents in the operating room, and direct patient contact. Review every AI-drafted history in Epic Systems or eClinicalWorks before signing it. Keep your ABO board certification current, since surgical and diagnostic judgment is what patients and hospitals pay for.
Related jobs
Next steps for ophthalmologists
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.