Nurse practitioner, midwife or anesthetist

The work, and what we can verify about AI in it

Task lists are our editorial summary of what the role involves. They vary by setting. The status describes the evidence we've checked, not whether a job is safe.

• Assessing and diagnosing

  Judgment and accountability

  Insufficient evidence

  Insufficient evidence. We haven't verified a solid source on AI in this task yet. That's different from evidence that nothing is happening. If you know of one, send it to us.

• Renewing prescriptions

  Judgment and accountability

  Narrow use or authorization

  • Contested

    Utah lets Doctronic's AI process renewals of about 190 existing, non-controlled medicines. In the current phase, a physician approves every one.

    What this does not prove: The state's medical board majority urged suspension, and a move to less review has not been approved. The listed term has ended, and we could not confirm its status since.

    Utah Department of Commerce, Undated page, with a letter from April 21, 2026

    AI regulatory relief pilots, and the Doctronic prescription renewal agreement

    Scope: Utah, for renewals of about 190 existing, non-controlled medicines.

    How it was done: The state's own pilot pages and correspondence.

    Limits: Contested: 11 of 14 Medical Licensing Board members urged suspension. The listed term ended October 24, 2026 and we could not confirm its status since. Utah says it lacks robust evidence of benefit.

    Checked against the original on November 6, 2026.

    Open the source (opens in a new tab)

• Delivering babies or giving anesthesia, in those roles

  Hands-on work

  Insufficient evidence

  Insufficient evidence. We haven't verified a solid source on AI in this task yet. That's different from evidence that nothing is happening. If you know of one, send it to us.

• Long-term patient relationships

  Human relationship

  Insufficient evidence

  Insufficient evidence. We haven't verified a solid source on AI in this task yet. That's different from evidence that nothing is happening. If you know of one, send it to us.

• Writing notes and charting

  Information work

  In real use today

  • Established now

    AI scribes saw the broadest adoption of any clinical AI category in 2025, reaching 63% of hospitals using Epic's record system. A prospective Stanford study of 48 physicians found a median 20 minutes saved per half day of clinic.

    What this does not prove: Measured mostly among physicians, so results for nurse practitioners may differ. Hospital systems reported many of these results themselves.

    Stanford HAI, 2026

    The 2026 AI Index Report, Chapter 6: Medicine

    Scope: Global research, with U.S. data on FDA authorizations.

    How it was done: An annual review that summarizes studies by other researchers.

    Limits: A summary of studies with different designs. Each headline figure comes from one setup and does not generalize on its own.

    Checked against the original on November 6, 2026.

    Open the source (opens in a new tab)

Read next

• Careers beyond becoming a physician
• Will the physician role survive in its current form?