People Team AI Ask about a date

How exposed to AI is a Physicist?

Of the 15 tasks O*NET lists for physicists, 7 could be done in half the time with a chat window today. 3 cannot be sped up at all. Here is which.

Exposure means published research judged an AI could halve the time a task takes, at the same quality. It does not mean the task stops needing a person. How to read this

Also called
Biophysics ScientistHealth PhysicistMedical PhysicistPhysicistResearch ConsultantResearch PhysicistResearch ScientistScientist
Reachable today Needs software built first Cannot be sped up
15
tasks rated for this occupation
100%
hold a degree, from a survey of only 18
20k
people do this job in the US
21 of 60
least protected in science

Every task, and what AI can do with it

These are O*NET's task statements for this occupation, exactly as written, sorted into the three bands by the ratings behind this report. Nothing has been reworded.

Reachable with a chat window today

7
  • Perform complex calculations as part of the analysis and evaluation of data, using computers
  • Describe and express observations and conclusions in mathematical terms
  • Write research proposals to receive funding
  • Report experimental results by writing papers for scientific journals or by presenting information at scientific conferences
  • Conduct research pertaining to potential environmental impacts of atomic energy-related industrial development to determine licensing qualifications
  • Collaborate with other scientists in the design, development, and testing of experimental, industrial, or medical equipment, instrumentation, and procedures
  • Develop standards of permissible concentrations of radioisotopes in liquids and gases

Only with software built on top

5
  • Design computer simulations to model physical data so that it can be better understood
  • Develop theories and laws on the basis of observation and experiments, and apply these theories and laws to problems in areas such as nuclear energy, optics, and aerospace technology
  • Conduct application evaluations and analyze results to determine commercial, industrial, scientific, medical, military, or other uses for electro-optical devices
  • Develop manufacturing, assembly, and fabrication processes of lasers, masers, infrared, and other light-emitting and light-sensitive devices
  • Advise authorities of procedures to be followed in radiation incidents or hazards, and assist in civil defense planning

Cannot be sped up

3
  • Analyze data from research conducted to detect and measure physical phenomena
  • Teach physics to students
  • Observe the structure and properties of matter, and the transformation and propagation of energy, using equipment such as masers, lasers, and telescopes, to explore and identify the basic principles governing these phenomena
What this does not say

This is not a prediction about your job

Nobody surveyed an employer. Tasks are counted equally, so a percentage here is a share of the list rather than a share of your week. And the ratings were made in 2023, which makes every figure a floor rather than a ceiling.

It must never be used to select anyone for redundancy. The full limits are here.

Where to go next

This is the standard task list for the title. The useful next question is which of the tasks you actually do should go near AI, and which should not.

Sort your own tasks Read the full report

Exposure ratings from Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock, GPTs are GPTs: Labor market impact potential of LLMs, Science 384, 1306–1308, 2024, used under the MIT licence. This page includes information from the O*NET Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. People Team AI has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Employment figures from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.