Will AI replace Occupational Therapists?

Some of your tasks will be automated. People who use AI will have the edge.

Task exposure to today's AI

45/100

Moderate exposure

This is the occupation's typical task mix. Your own score can be up to 30 points higher or lower depending on how you work: routine share, people contact, judgment and how much you already use AI.

Get your personal score

Will AI replace Occupational Therapists?

Not entirely. Today's AI tools can take on about 45% of the typical work in this occupation, mostly: complete and maintain necessary records. The parts that stay human include: Plan, organize, and conduct occupational therapy programs in hospital, institutional, or community settings to help rehabilitate persons with disabilities because of illness, injury or psychological or developmental problems.; Complete and maintain necessary records.; Test and evaluate patients' physical and mental abilities and analyze medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals for patients..

People who learn to use AI for the automatable parts keep the edge. The 3-phase plan below shows where to start.

Which tasks AI can take on

The largest tasks in this occupation, their share of the working week, and how much of each today's AI tools can do.

TaskAutomatable

Complete and maintain necessary records. 65%

Evaluate patients' progress and prepare reports that detail progress. 60%

Test and evaluate patients' physical and mental abilities and analyze medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals for patients. 55%

Select activities that will help individuals learn work and life-management skills within limits of their mental or physical capabilities. 50%

Plan and implement programs and social activities to help patients learn work or school skills and adjust to handicaps. 45%

Plan, organize, and conduct occupational therapy programs in hospital, institutional, or community settings to help rehabilitate persons with disabilities because of illness, injury or psychological or developmental problems. 38%

+ 11 more tasks (26% of the week) in the full test.

Your human edge

Plan, organize, and conduct occupational therapy programs in hospital, institutional, or community settings to help rehabilitate persons with disabilities because of illness, injury or psychological or developmental problems.
Complete and maintain necessary records.
Test and evaluate patients' physical and mental abilities and analyze medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals for patients.

AI tools to try

Clinical documentation and transcription assistantsChatGPT / Claude for patient information (no patient data)Clinical decision support in your systems

Related roles

A 3-phase AI learning plan

Phase 1

Less documentation time

AI transcription and note drafting where your organisation allows it.
Patient information leaflets in plain language.
Never put identifiable patient data into public tools.

Project

Use an approved AI tool to draft de-identified evaluation and progress notes for 10 sessions, plus 3 plain-language home-exercise leaflets, and log minutes saved per note.

Phase 2

Evidence and decision support

Guideline and literature summaries with AI, checked in the source.
Understand how decision-support tools reach their output.
Know the limits and liability.

Project

Build an AI-assisted evidence summary on one intervention you use (e.g. constraint-induced therapy), verify every claim in the source guideline, and document 3 limits for practice.

Phase 3

AI in care processes

Coordination, scheduling and handover with AI help.
Take part in your organisation's AI projects.
Teach colleagues safe use.

Project

Pilot AI-supported scheduling and handover summaries for your caseload for two weeks, then run a 45-minute training for colleagues on safe, de-identified use and report time saved.

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