Will AI replace Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric?

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

Task exposure to today's AI

30/100

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 Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric?

Not entirely. Today's AI tools can take on about 30% of the typical work in this occupation, mostly: document or evaluate patients' medical histories. The parts that stay human include: Perform comprehensive examinations of the visual system to determine the nature or extent of ocular disorders.; Perform ophthalmic surgeries such as cataract, glaucoma, refractive, corneal, vitro-retinal, eye muscle, or oculoplastic surgeries.; Diagnose or treat injuries, disorders, or diseases of the eye and eye structures including the cornea, sclera, conjunctiva, or eyelids..

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

Document or evaluate patients' medical histories.AI already used 62%

Perform, order, or interpret the results of diagnostic or clinical tests. 53%

Develop treatment plans based on patients' histories and goals, the nature and severity of disorders, and treatment risks and benefits. 47%

Diagnose or treat injuries, disorders, or diseases of the eye and eye structures including the cornea, sclera, conjunctiva, or eyelids. 23%

Perform comprehensive examinations of the visual system to determine the nature or extent of ocular disorders. 17%

Perform ophthalmic surgeries such as cataract, glaucoma, refractive, corneal, vitro-retinal, eye muscle, or oculoplastic surgeries. 10%

+ 12 more tasks (33% of the week) in the full test.

Your human edge

Perform comprehensive examinations of the visual system to determine the nature or extent of ocular disorders.
Perform ophthalmic surgeries such as cataract, glaucoma, refractive, corneal, vitro-retinal, eye muscle, or oculoplastic surgeries.
Diagnose or treat injuries, disorders, or diseases of the eye and eye structures including the cornea, sclera, conjunctiva, or eyelids.

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 scribe or de-identified dictation workflow for 20 slit-lamp and fundus exam notes, and rewrite 5 post-op cataract leaflets in plain language; 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 AI-drafted one-page summaries of current guidelines for three conditions you treat weekly (e.g. wet AMD, open-angle glaucoma, keratoconus), verifying every claim against the source and logging error rates.

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 an AI-assisted workflow for theatre list sequencing and clinic handover summaries over 2 weeks, measure delays and overruns before/after, then run a 1-hour safe-use session for your clinic team.

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