Optometrists
Official O*NET title: Optometrists (29-1041.00)
Also called: optometrist, optometry doctor, therapeutic optometrist
Do you do this at work?
Answer each card — it takes about a minute.
Do you do this at work?
Analyze test results and develop a treatment plan
Swipe right for yes, left for not me. On a keyboard: → yes, ← not me, Z undo. +2 XP per answer.
How AI is changing optometrists work
2 of 10 measurable main tasks for this job show up in real AI-use data, so we rate it Green (little AI use yet) — 20%.
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
- Analyze test results and develop a treatment plan (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Consult with and refer patients to ophthalmologist or other health care practitioner if additional medical treatment is determined necessary (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Examine eyes, using observation, instruments, and pharmaceutical agents, to determine visual acuity and perception, focus, and coordination and to diagnose diseases and other abnormalities (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Prescribe, supply, fit and adjust eyeglasses, contact lenses, and other vision aids (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Prescribe medications to treat eye diseases if state laws permit (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Educate and counsel patients on contact lens care, visual hygiene, lighting arrangements, and safety factors (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Remove foreign bodies from the eye (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Provide patients undergoing eye surgeries (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Prescribe therapeutic procedures to correct or conserve vision (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Provide vision therapy and low-vision rehabilitation (main task) — 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 and counsel patients on contact lens care, visual hygiene, lighting arrangements, and safety factors”.
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 optometrists
Will AI replace optometrists?
Our data can’t predict job losses, and we don’t try to. What it does show: 2 of the 10 main tasks for this job match tasks people already use AI for (Anthropic Economic Index), giving a Green rating (little AI use yet). Using AI on a task is not the same as AI doing the whole job, and 8 of the 10 listed tasks show no recorded AI use yet.
Which optometrist tasks is AI used for most?
In the data, the most AI use among this job’s tasks is for: analyze test results and develop a treatment plan; consult with and refer patients to ophthalmologist or other health care practitioner if additional medical treatment is determined necessary.
Which optometrist tasks show little or no AI use?
For example: examine eyes, using observation, instruments, and pharmaceutical agents, to determine visual acuity and perception, focus, and coordination and to diagnose diseases and other abnormalities; prescribe, supply, fit and adjust eyeglasses, contact lenses, and other vision aids; prescribe medications to treat eye diseases if state laws permit. 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 19% of the occupations they scored. That measures overlap with AI chat use, not risk of job loss.
How can a optometrist 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
Optometrists ranks #363 of 572 jobs for the share of main tasks with AI use (#1 = most), and #40 of 80 in Healthcare.
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