Ophthalmologists
Official O*NET title: Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric (29-1241.00)
Also called: clinical ophthalmologist, cornea specialist, glaucoma specialist, oculoplastic specialist, ophthalmic surgeon
Do you do this at work?
Answer each card — it takes about a minute.
Do you do this at work?
Educate patients about maintenance and promotion of healthy vision
Swipe right for yes, left for not me. On a keyboard: → yes, ← not me, Z undo. +2 XP per answer.
How AI is changing ophthalmologists work
7 of 16 measurable main tasks for this job show up in real AI-use data, so we rate it Amber (some AI use) — 44%.
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
- Educate patients about maintenance and promotion of healthy vision (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Perform, order, or interpret the results of diagnostic or clinical tests (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Diagnose or treat injuries, disorders, or diseases of the eye and eye structures including the cornea, sclera, conjunctiva, or eyelids (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Develop treatment plans based on patients' histories and goals, the nature and severity of disorders, and treatment risks and benefits (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Provide ophthalmic consultation to other medical professionals (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Document or evaluate patients' medical histories (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Develop or put in place plans and procedures for ophthalmologic services (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Perform comprehensive examinations of the visual system to determine the nature or extent of ocular disorders (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Provide or direct the provision of postoperative care (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Prescribe or administer topical or systemic medications to treat ophthalmic conditions and to manage pain (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Perform ophthalmic surgeries such as cataract, glaucoma, refractive, corneal, vitro-retinal, eye muscle, or oculoplastic surgeries (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Refer patients for more specialized treatments when conditions exceed the experience, expertise, or scope of practice of practitioner (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Perform laser surgeries to alter, remove, reshape, or replace ocular tissue (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams of health professionals to provide optimal patient care (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Prescribe corrective lenses such as glasses or contact lenses (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Prescribe ophthalmologic treatments or therapies such as chemotherapy, cryotherapy, or low vision therapy (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Instruct interns, residents, or others in ophthalmologic procedures and techniques — no recorded AI use
- Conduct clinical or laboratory-based research in ophthalmology — 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: “Educate patients about maintenance and promotion of healthy vision”. Try the prompt for: “Perform, order, or interpret the results of diagnostic or clinical tests”.
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 ophthalmologists
Will AI replace ophthalmologists?
Our data can’t predict job losses, and we don’t try to. What it does show: 7 of the 16 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 11 of the 18 listed tasks show no recorded AI use yet.
Which ophthalmologist tasks is AI used for most?
In the data, the most AI use among this job’s tasks is for: educate patients about maintenance and promotion of healthy vision; perform, order, or interpret the results of diagnostic or clinical tests; diagnose or treat injuries, disorders, or diseases of the eye and eye structures including the cornea, sclera, conjunctiva, or eyelids.
Which ophthalmologist tasks show little or no AI use?
For example: perform comprehensive examinations of the visual system to determine the nature or extent of ocular disorders; provide or direct the provision of postoperative care; prescribe or administer topical or systemic medications to treat ophthalmic conditions and to manage pain. 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 29% of the occupations they scored. That measures overlap with AI chat use, not risk of job loss.
How can a ophthalmologist 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
Ophthalmologists ranks #162 of 572 jobs for the share of main tasks with AI use (#1 = most), and #14 of 80 in Healthcare.
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