The double-edged sword of automation and the risks of AI’s uneven impact on healthcare professions: a comment on the OECD artificial intelligence papers report

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming healthcare, enhancing accuracy, personalizing care, and streamlining administrative tasks. The report published in May 2025 by the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) offers a taxonomy of health roles based on their susceptibility to automation through GenAI and robotics, ranging from low risk (e.g., physicians) to high risk (e.g., orderlies, transcriptionists). While AI augments many routine clinical tasks, roles requiring
complex judgment and empathy remain largely human-driven. Key concerns arise from the potential uncritical adoption of these evaluations, which fragment healthcare roles and risk overlooking their integrative, relational nature. Additionally, industry-led implementation of AI may undervalue frontline clinical expertise and ethical considerations. To ensure responsible integration, multi-stakeholder strategies such as the European Pact for Skills and targeted upskilling initiatives are essential. Policymakers must guide AI adoption to redesign roles and education in ways that empower the workforce without sacrificing the core values of care.