When people talk about how AI can make business operate more efficiently, they tend to think in terms of cutting costs, but I hear something else, too: speed. Sure, policyholders want cost taken out of the claims process, knowing that the savings will eventually be passed along in the form of lower premiums, but what they really want is to have their claim resolved promptly and to receive payment quickly, so they can get on with their lives. The need for speed is especially great in workers’ comp. A person is injured and may be isolated at home, which can be disorienting both financially and psychologically. The person needs (and deserves) to feel valued, which not only means prompt attention from a boss, the insurer and medical personnel but also means wrapping up all the details as soon as possible. The injured worker will sleep better once everything is resolved. Employers and insurers will, too, if they find themselves wrapping up more cases before the lawyers get involved. Looking back at the articles on workers’ comp I’ve published over the years, I see loads of progress. Insurers have become much better at triaging cases, so they can spot those that are most likely to escalate into a courtroom—helping manage costs while giving more injured workers the attention they want. Insurers have also improved how they use technology to detect fraud, again cutting costs while helping workers and employers by reducing the need to increase premiums. More recently, technology has been enabling a move to a Predict & Prevent model: Innovators are, for instance, using cameras to monitor workplaces and construction sites and spot potential problems so managers can work with employees and head off accidents. Now comes generative AI, which will take another whack at costs while benefiting everyone by expediting the handling of a worker’s claim. Connor Atchison, CEO of Wisedocs, says in this month’s interview that AI is already cutting claims handling times in half, and the technology is just getting started. He does provide some words of caution, both based on his experience with AI and on a recent survey Wisedocs conducted. For instance, he says you have to focus not just on getting the right answers with your AI but have to work to build trust in those results. He says a survey found that keeping a human in the loop increases trust in the AI by 4X—but the human has to be in the loop at the right spot. Whether you’re focused on using AI to cut costs or, like me, more interested in how much it can speed workers’ comp claims, I think you’ll find the conversation with Connor enlightening. Cheers, Paul | 
