Occupational Therapists

Assess, plan, and organize rehabilitative programs that help build or restore vocational, homemaking, and daily living skills, as well as general independence, to persons with disabilities or developmental delays. Use therapeutic techniques, adapt the individual's environment, teach skills, and modify specific tasks that present barriers to the individual.

The occupation "Occupational Therapists" is assessed with an automation risk of 41.8%, which is closely aligned with its base risk of 42.6%. This relatively moderate automation risk stems from a blend of tasks that are both automatable and resistant to full automation. While developments in artificial intelligence and robotics have introduced technology capable of handling certain assessment and data management processes, the profession fundamentally involves a human-centric, individualized approach. The risk reflects the growing capability of AI systems to perform routine evaluations, maintain records, and assist in structured program planning. Among occupational therapists’ most automatable tasks are testing and evaluating patients' abilities, maintaining records, and organizing therapy programs. These areas often involve standardized protocols and repetitive data handling, making them suitable targets for algorithm-driven automation. For example, AI can process medical data, suggest rehabilitation goals based on large datasets, and automatically keep and update necessary documentation. Mapping out therapy programs, too, is partly procedural and can be supported by digital platforms, thus reducing the need for constant human oversight in these specific areas. As AI continues to evolve, these responsibilities are likely to become more streamlined. However, notable bottlenecks to automation arise from skills requiring creativity and nuanced human judgment, most notably "Originality," which is measured at just 3.8–3.9% automatable within this role. Highly resistant tasks include providing hands-on assistance to patients in job placement, advising on complex individual health risks during major life transitions like retirement, and conducting research to advance occupational therapy practices. These tasks require deep interpersonal communication, empathy, contextual understanding, and innovative problem-solving that current AI and robotics struggle to replicate. As such, while technology may supplement certain routine aspects of occupational therapy, the occupation’s success relies heavily on uniquely human attributes, ensuring a continued essential role for occupational therapists.