Will AI replace Biological Technicians?
Estimated risk score: 45 out of 100
Moderate replacement risk
Estimate from published task research, not reviewed by a person · how we estimate
Within about 19 points for 4 in 5 of the jobs we checked (26 to 64).
For the occupation as a whole, from ratings of its 18 O*NET tasks published in 2023 and calibrated to our hand scores. A specialty inside it can sit higher or lower.
O*NET-SOC 19-4021.00 · Life, Physical, and Social Science
Tasks rated in 2023 as ones AI could do or speed up
Tasks a GPT-4-class model could do, or do in half the time or less: 4 of its 18 rated tasks. In O*NET’s words.
- Input data into databases.
- Keep detailed logs of all work-related activities.
- Place orders for laboratory equipment and supplies.
- Use computers, computer-interfaced equipment, robotics or high-technology industrial applications to perform work duties.
Tasks rated in 2023 as not sped up by AI
Tasks such a model was rated as not speeding up or taking over: 7 of its 18 rated tasks; the first 6 are shown. In O*NET’s words.
- Clean, maintain and prepare supplies and work areas.
- Isolate, identify and prepare specimens for examination.
- Set up, adjust, calibrate, clean, maintain, and troubleshoot laboratory and field equipment.
- Conduct research, or assist in the conduct of research, including the collection of information and samples, such as blood, water, soil, plants and animals.
- Feed livestock or laboratory animals.
- Measure or weigh compounds and solutions for use in testing or animal feed.
What the job is
Assist biological and medical scientists. Set up, operate, and maintain laboratory instruments and equipment, monitor experiments, collect data and samples, make observations, and calculate and record results. May analyze organic substances, such as blood, food, and drugs.
Also called: Babcock Tester, Biologist Aide, Biotechnologist, Game Technician, Herbarium Worker, Fiber Technologist, Aquatics Technician, Specimen Technician.
Source. This site includes information from the O*NET 30.1 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. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. (O*NET, CC BY 4.0.) Task ratings: Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock (2023), “GPTs are GPTs: An Early Look at the Labor Market Impact Potential of Large Language Models”, data used under the MIT licence (licence texts). Our change: we averaged the ratings over this occupation’s tasks and calibrated them to our 0–100 scale. It is not a prediction about any one person and not career advice. Disagree? Write to hello@yourstopwashit.com. How we estimate