Will pediatric surgeons be replaced by AI?
Updated
Pediatric surgeons score 29 of 100 for AI exposure. The largest share of their task time, 50%, is work AI speeds up while they stay in charge. AI can take over 6% outright, and 44% stays with people.
- 6% AI can do it
- 50% AI helps
- 44% Needs a person
Low exposure
Lower than 64% 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 9 and leaves 8 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Prepare case histories. Case history writing is largely documentation from existing records. | 75% AI can do it |
| Manage surgery services, including planning, scheduling and coordination, determination of procedures, or procurement of supplies and equipment. Scheduling and procurement software helps; planning needs human decisions. | 50% AI helps |
| Describe preoperative and postoperative treatments and procedures, such as sedatives, diets, antibiotics, or preparation and treatment of the patient's operative area, to parents or guardians of the patient. AI can draft family handouts; surgeon explains in person. | 45% AI helps |
| Interpret results of preoperative tests and physical examinations. AI can flag lab and imaging findings; surgeon interprets context. | 45% AI helps |
| Analyze patient's medical history, medication allergies, physical condition, and examination results to verify operation's necessity and to determine best procedure. AI can summarize history and results; surgeon weighs necessity. | 40% AI helps |
| Refer patient to medical specialist or other practitioners when necessary. AI can draft referral letters; surgeon chooses the specialist. | 40% AI helps |
| Conduct research to develop and test surgical techniques that can improve operating procedures and outcomes. AI aids literature review and data analysis; trials need surgeons. | 35% AI helps |
| Inform parents and guardians of child's health problems and surgical procedures through various channels, such as in-person and telecommunication systems. AI can draft updates and summaries; family conversations stay human. | 35% AI helps |
| Monitor patient's recovery, making follow-up visits and using postoperative assessment techniques, such as blood and imaging tests. AI can review recovery data; follow-up visits need clinicians. | 30% AI helps |
| Consult with patient's other medical care specialists, such as cardiologist and endocrinologist, to determine if surgery is necessary. AI can summarize records; live specialist discussion stays human. | 25% AI helps |
Show the other 8 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Examine fetuses, infants, children, and adolescents, and diagnose health issues to determine need for intervention, such as surgery. Hands-on pediatric exams; AI only helps with reading findings. | 15% Needs a person |
| Provide consultation and surgical assistance to other physicians and surgeons. Live consultation and in-room surgical assistance with colleagues. | 15% Needs a person |
| Direct and coordinate activities of nurses, assistants, specialists, residents, and other medical staff. Leading live clinical staff is interpersonal and accountable work. | 12% Needs a person |
| Examine patient to obtain information on medical condition and surgical risk. Direct physical examination of patients; little AI substitution. | 8% Needs a person |
| Examine instruments, equipment, and operating room to ensure sterility. Physical inspection of sterility and equipment in the room. | 4% Needs a person |
| Follow established surgical techniques during the operation. Manual surgical technique performed on patients in real time. | 3% Needs a person |
| Operate on fetuses, infants, children, and adolescents to correct deformities, repair injuries, prevent and treat diseases, or improve or restore patients' functions. Physical surgery on young patients; no AI substitution. | 2% Needs a person |
| Perform transplantation operations, such as organ transplants, on fetuses, infants, children, and adolescents. Hands-on organ transplant surgery; requires skilled physical work. | 2% Needs a person |
How pediatric surgeons compare
All occupations (923)
Healthcare practitioners and technical (89)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $559,030 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 1,190 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- +2.0% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Operate on infants and children in the operating room
- Hold American Board of Surgery pediatric surgery certification
- Review and sign AI-drafted case histories in Epic Systems
- Plan surgical procedures using Image-guided surgery software
- Lead residents and nurses during live operative cases
- Run medical laser procedures with Medical laser control software
Safer roles nearby
3 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about pediatric surgeons and AI
Will AI replace pediatric surgeons?
Partly. About 3 in 10 of a pediatric surgeon's working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly preparing case histories and managing surgery services such as scheduling and procurement. What stays with people is the operating itself and the decisions made at the bedside with families.
Which tasks of pediatric surgeons is AI taking over?
AI is taking over case history writing first, with an exposure score of 75, because it is mostly documentation drawn from records that already exist. Scheduling and procurement follow at 50, since software handles coordination. Drafting family handouts on pre and postoperative care scores 45, because AI can produce the text while the surgeon explains it in person.
Which tasks of pediatric surgeons stay human?
Operating on fetuses, infants, children, and adolescents stays human, with an exposure score of 2, because it is physical work on a living patient. Sterility checks score 4 and direct patient examinations score 8, since they need hands and eyes in the room. Leading nurses, residents, and assistants scores 12 because it depends on live, accountable teamwork.
How can pediatric surgeons stay valuable as AI spreads?
Keep the hands-on operative work at the center of the role and check AI output closely. Review every AI-drafted case history in Epic Systems or MEDITECH before signing, so errors in records never reach a family. Spend the time freed from paperwork on operating, teaching residents, and running live cases with Medical laser control software.
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