Hospitals and nursing homes now use bed sensors, fall alerts and voice charting. Nursing assistants do the hands-on care those tools support: bathing, dressing, moving and feeding patients, and noticing when something is not right.
The short answer: current evidence does not point to AI replacing nursing assistants. The ILO's 2025 index rates health care assistants as not exposed to generative AI, with a score of 0.14. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 3 percent growth for nursing assistants and orderlies from 2025 to 2035, with about 203,300 openings a year. Projections are estimates, not guarantees.
How exposed nursing assistants are
The International Labour Organization scores occupations' tasks from 0 (cannot be automated with generative AI) to 1 (could be done without a human operator), and groups them into gradients from 1 to 4, with 4 the most exposed; below them sit minimal exposure and not exposed (ILO Working Paper 140, 2025).
| Occupation (ISCO-08) | ILO category | Mean task score (0 to 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care Assistants | Not exposed | 0.14 |
What the BLS projects
| Occupation | Projected change 2025 to 2035 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing assistants | Grow 3% | In total |
| Orderlies | Grow 4% | In total |
| Nursing assistants and orderlies, total | Grow 3% | About 203,300 |
The BLS links demand to an aging population with chronic conditions and to more care in home and community settings. Nursing assistants complete a state-approved program and pass a competency exam.
Where AI is helping
- Bed and fall sensors that alert staff.
- Voice or tablet charting of vital signs and care.
- Shift scheduling and task lists.
- Lifting equipment that makes transfers safer.
What stays with the nursing assistant
- Personal care: bathing, toileting, dressing and helping people eat.
- Moving people: turning, repositioning and transferring patients safely.
- Noticing: listening to patients and reporting changes to nurses.
- Checking AI help: alerts and auto-filled charts can be confidently wrong, which NIST calls confabulation (NIST AI 600-1). See checking AI output.
How the job is changing
More monitoring and charting is digital, which can free time for care. The care itself stays with people. This page is about jobs and is not medical advice.
See also will AI replace nurses?, will AI replace home health aides? and jobs safe from AI
Pay and how to get in
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual pay for nursing assistants at $41,870 in May 2025, against $50,980 for all workers. The BLS says the education needed to enter varies; its profile explains the routes in. See how this job compares in AI exposure by pay and AI exposure by education level.
Questions and answers
Will AI replace nursing assistants?
Not on current evidence. The ILO rates health care assistants not exposed to generative AI, and the BLS projects 3 percent growth from 2025 to 2035.
Will robots replace CNAs?
Lifts and sensors help, but bathing, dressing, feeding and reassuring patients still need people.
How many nursing assistant openings are expected?
The BLS projects about 203,300 openings a year for nursing assistants and orderlies combined.
What nursing assistant work stays human?
Personal care, moving patients, noticing and reporting changes, and checking alerts and charts.