Will AI replace doctors?

What AI changes in the job, task by task

No task reaches the threshold. The highest involve writing and administration: research and publication (a score of 0.48 out of 1), reporting births, deaths and notifiable diseases (0.37), keeping medical records (0.36). The core of care is far below: examining and interviewing patients (0.16), surgery and clinical procedures (0.13).

• Very low
• Low
• Exposed
• Highly exposed

• Conducting research in human health and medical services and disseminating the findings such as through scientific reports

  Low

• Reporting births, deaths and notifiable diseases to government authorities to meet legal and professional requirements

  Low

• Recording patients' medical information and history and exchanging information with specialist practitioners and other health workers as required for continuing medical care

  Low

• Planning and participating in programmes designed to prevent the occurrence and spread of common diseases

  Low

• Advising individuals, families and communities on health, nutrition and lifestyle which aid prevention or treatment of disease and disorders

  Low

• Providing referrals to patients and families for specialized care in hospitals, rehabilitation centres or other types of health care centres

  Low

• Ordering laboratory tests, X-rays and other diagnostic procedures and analysing findings to determine the nature of disorders or illnesses

  Low

• Identifying, managing and providing referrals for complications before, during and after childbirth

  Very low

• Providing continuing medical care for patients including prescribing, administering, counselling on and monitoring curative treatments and preventive measures

  Very low

• Conducting physical examinations of patients and interviewing them and their families to determine their health status

  Very low

• Performing surgery and other clinical procedures

  Very low

Source: ILO, Generative AI and Jobs, Working Paper 140, 2025.