Job Check
Physicists
Conduct research into physical phenomena, develop theories on the basis of observation and experiments, and devise methods to apply physical laws and theories.
10 main tasks · most important first
Your main tasks and AI
Importance- 01Analyze data from research conducted to detect and measure physical phenomena.AI could speed this up, with extra tools
- 02Report experimental results by writing papers for scientific journals or by presenting information at scientific conferences.AI could speed this up a lot
- 03Perform complex calculations as part of the analysis and evaluation of data, using computers.People already use AI for this at work
- 04Describe and express observations and conclusions in mathematical terms.AI could speed this up a lot
- 05Collaborate with other scientists in the design, development, and testing of experimental, industrial, or medical equipment, instrumentation, and procedures.AI could speed this up, with extra tools
- 06Observe 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.Mostly human for now
- 07Write research proposals to receive funding.AI could speed this up a lot
- 08Design computer simulations to model physical data so that it can be better understood.People already use AI for this at work
- 09Teach physics to students.AI could speed this up, with extra tools
- 10Develop 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.AI could speed this up a lot
Tasks from O*NET® 31.0 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0, changed by us), most important first. “Already use” comes from Anthropic’s data on real work chats with Claude; “could speed up” from task ratings made with GPT-4 in 2023.
Four studies, side by side
None is a forecast of job loss27%of this job’s work time goes to tasks that people already do with Claude at work, counting tasks where AI only helps as half (2026).Anthropic, 2026
75%of this job’s tasks an AI model could do in half the time, counting tasks that need extra tools as half (rated in 2023).Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock, 2023
Above 76% of jobsin how often and how well AI helped with this job’s work in Microsoft Copilot chats (2024 data).Microsoft Research (Tomlinson et al.), 2025
Above 45% of jobsin how much of this job’s physical work robots have been shown to do, from factories to homes (2026).Anthropic, 2026
Your human edge
The main tasks with no real AI use seen and no big speed-up expected. This is where your skill counts most today.
- 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.