Will AI replace Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers?
AI reaches a large part of this job’s work.
53/100
High exposure
More exposed to AI than 84% of US workers.
- AI already used in
- 12% of the work
- As AI tools mature: up to
- 83% of the work
What the job involves
Apply knowledge of engineering, biology, chemistry, computer science, and biomechanical principles to the design, development, and evaluation of biological, agricultural, and health systems and products, such as artificial organs, prostheses, instrumentation, medical information systems, and health management and care delivery systems.
Where AI reaches the work
The job’s main tasks, heaviest first, by how far AI reaches them.
Already happening(3)
- Prepare technical reports, data summary documents, or research articles for scientific publication, regulatory submissions, or patent applications.
- Conduct research, along with life scientists, chemists, and medical scientists, on the engineering aspects of the biological systems of humans and animals.
- Read current scientific or trade literature to stay abreast of scientific, industrial, or technological advances.
Within reach(22)
- Design or develop medical diagnostic or clinical instrumentation, equipment, or procedures, using the principles of engineering and biobehavioral sciences.
- Adapt or design computer hardware or software for medical science uses.
- Maintain databases of experiment characteristics or results.
- Develop statistical models or simulations, using statistical or modeling software.
- Manage teams of engineers by creating schedules, tracking inventory, creating or using budgets, or overseeing contract obligations or deadlines.
and 17 more
Out of reach(5)
- Evaluate the safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of biomedical equipment.
- Consult with chemists or biologists to develop or evaluate novel technologies.
- Conduct training or in-services to educate clinicians and other personnel on proper use of equipment.
- Recommend process formulas, instrumentation, or equipment specifications, based on results of bench or pilot experimentation.
- Confer with research and biomanufacturing personnel to ensure the compatibility of design and production.
Also called
Biomedical Engineer · Biochemical Engineer · Biomaterials Engineer · Biomechanical Engineer · Genetic Engineer · Biomedical Technician (Biomedical Tech) · Engineer · Process Engineer
Related jobs
What these numbers mean
The score is the share of this job’s work, weighted by how important and frequent each task is, that AI could do in half the time: tasks an AI model could do alone count in full, tasks that need software built on AI count half.
“AI already used” is the share of the work in tasks where people are recorded using AI today. “As AI tools mature” counts every task AI could halve, with or without extra software.
The percentile compares the score with every job’s, weighted by how many people in the US do each one. Exposure means AI could change how the work is done, not that the job goes away. These are estimates for the typical job, not predictions.
Sources
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
- GPTs are GPTs: Labor market impact potential of LLMs (task labels), Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), OpenAI and University of Pennsylvania
- Anthropic Economic Index: labor market impacts (task penetration), Anthropic
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (national and metropolitan areas), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics