Biologists
Official O*NET title: Biologists (19-1029.04)
Also called: aquatic biologist, biological scientist, biologist, botanist, fisheries and wildlife biologist
Do you do this at work?
Answer each card — it takes about a minute.
Do you do this at work?
Study basic principles of plant and animal life
Swipe right for yes, left for not me. On a keyboard: → yes, ← not me, Z undo. +2 XP per answer.
How AI is changing biologists work
5 of 13 measurable main tasks for this job show up in real AI-use data, so we rate it Amber (some AI use) — 38%.
This shows where people already use AI, not whether the job will disappear. How we measure this.
Tasks in this job and recorded AI use
- Study basic principles of plant and animal life (main task) — a lot of recorded AI use
- Teach or supervise students and perform research at universities and colleges (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Program and use computers to store, process, and analyze data (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Collect and analyze biological data about relationships among and between organisms and their environment (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Prepare requests for proposals or statements of work (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Prepare technical and research reports (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Supervise biological technicians and technologists and other scientists (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Develop and maintain liaisons and effective working relations with groups and individuals, agencies, and the public to encourage cooperative management strategies or to develop information and interpret findings (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Identify, classify, and study structure, behavior, ecology, physiology, nutrition, culture, and distribution of plant and animal species (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Review reports and proposals (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Write grant proposals to obtain funding for biological research (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Communicate test results to state and federal representatives and general public (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Represent employer in a technical capacity at conferences (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Study aquatic plants and animals and environmental conditions affecting them — some recorded AI use
- Study reactions of plants, animals, and marine species to parasites — some recorded AI use
- Research environmental effects of present and potential uses of land and water areas, determining methods of improving environmental conditions or such outputs as crop yields — no recorded AI use
- Study and manage wild animal populations — no recorded AI use
- Prepare plans for management of renewable resources — no recorded AI use
- Measure salinity, acidity, light, oxygen content, and other physical conditions of water to determine their relationship to aquatic life — no recorded AI use
- Develop pest management and control measures, and conduct risk assessments related to pest exclusion, using scientific methods — no recorded AI use
- Develop methods and apparatus for securing representative plant, animal, aquatic, or soil samples — no recorded AI use
- Plan and administer biological research programs for government, research firms, medical industries, or manufacturing firms — no recorded AI use
Tasks: O*NET 31.0. AI use: Anthropic Economic Index (exact or close text match).
Your first steps (guidance)
- Week 1: Open a free AI assistant and say hello. Follow our “Getting started with AI” guide. Ask it one simple question about your work.
- Week 2: Use AI on one task you do often. Try the prompt for: “Study basic principles of plant and animal life”. Try the prompt for: “Teach or supervise students and perform research at universities and colleges”.
Tick your own tasks above to get a plan based on what you really do. The first 2 weeks are free; Premium (coming soon) adds weeks 3–12. New to AI? Read our beginner’s guide.
Questions about AI and biologists
Will AI replace biologists?
Our data can’t predict job losses, and we don’t try to. What it does show: 5 of the 13 main tasks for this job match tasks people already use AI for (Anthropic Economic Index), giving a Amber rating (some AI use). Using AI on a task is not the same as AI doing the whole job, and 15 of the 22 listed tasks show no recorded AI use yet.
Which biologist tasks is AI used for most?
In the data, the most AI use among this job’s tasks is for: study basic principles of plant and animal life; study aquatic plants and animals and environmental conditions affecting them; teach or supervise students and perform research at universities and colleges.
Which biologist tasks show little or no AI use?
For example: prepare technical and research reports; supervise biological technicians and technologists and other scientists; develop and maintain liaisons and effective working relations with groups and individuals, agencies, and the public to encourage cooperative management strategies or to develop information and interpret findings. These are good places to keep building your own skills.
How does this job compare to others?
In Microsoft Research’s “Working with AI” study, this job’s AI applicability score is equal to or higher than 78% of the occupations they scored. That measures overlap with AI chat use, not risk of job loss.
How can a biologist start learning AI?
Start small: open a free AI assistant, try it on one task you do often, and always check facts and numbers yourself. The plan on this page is guidance, not professional advice.
See how this job ranks
Biologists ranks #201 of 572 jobs for the share of main tasks with AI use (#1 = most), and #29 of 45 in Science & Research.
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