Waltham, MA, June 25, 2025 — A new study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) examines how stakeholders view the promises and challenges of artificial intelligence (AI) in the workers’ compensation system.

“In recent years, interest in the role of artificial intelligence in workers’ compensation has grown rapidly,” said Sebastian Negrusa, vice president of research at WCRI. “This study is an important step toward understanding how stakeholders are approaching the opportunities and risks associated with these emerging technologies.”

To develop the study, WCRI researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 34 leaders across 20 organizations—including employers, insurers, medical providers, worker advocates, and regulators—supplemented by informal discussions. They also reviewed literature and regulations on AI developments and applications.

The key questions asked in the interviews included:

• How do you define AI and its role in the economy and the workers’ compensation system?
• Where do you see the value of AI tools for your job, your organization, and the system?
• What challenges and risks do you foresee with broader AI adoption, and how can these be mitigated?

By outlining current and emerging uses of AI in workers’ compensation and identifying risks and potential guardrails, the study, Artificial Intelligence in Workers’ Compensation: An Overview of Promises and Challenges, aims to provide a common language for stakeholders and inform policy discussions to promote responsible AI use that improves injured workers’ recovery and experience.

The authors of the study are Bogdan Savych and Vennela Thumula.

ABOUT WCRI:

The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) is an independent, not-for-profit research organization based in Waltham, MA. Organized in 1983, the Institute does not take positions on the issues it researches; rather, it provides information obtained through studies and data collection efforts, which conform to recognized scientific methods. Objectivity is further ensured through rigorous, unbiased peer review procedures. WCRI's diverse membership includes employers; insurers; governmental entities; managed care companies; health care providers; insurance regulators; state labor organizations; and state administrative agencies in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

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