Artificial Intelligence and Occupational Therapy: From Emerging Occupation to Educational, Practice, and Policy Imperative

Artificial intelligence (AI) is now increasingly integrated into health care, education, and daily life. It now shapes how people learn, work, communicate, and manage health. For occupational therapy, which centers on enabling meaningful participation across contexts, this technological transformation presents critical challenges and opportunities. Despite AI’s growing presence, the profession lacks cohesive standards or strategies to address its impact on education, clinical reasoning, or client-centered practice. AI is a practice-relevant and educationally urgent phenomenon that demands structured engagement and leadership within the profession to ensure its ethical, inclusive integration. Occupational therapy practitioners must be prepared to support students, practitioners, and clients in navigating these technologies. Without clear competencies and shared frameworks, the profession risks marginalization and missed opportunities to uphold occupational justice. Action is needed in three domains: (1) occupational therapy education, where AI literacy and ethical use must be taught and modeled; (2) clinical practice, where AI tools require critical evaluation and adaptation; and (3) client engagement, where AI use must be recognized and supported as an evolving occupation. Accreditation, continuing education, and public policy must align to support this shift.