Insurance Commissioner Urges Responsible AI Use
As policymakers grapple with the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in regulated industries, Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworsky has encouraged lawmakers to ensure the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) can oversee insurers’ AI use. “Responsible AI governance is crucial,” Commissioner Yaworsky recently told the Banking and Insurance Committee of the Florida Senate. Commissioner Yaworsky acknowledged that AI can bring added efficiency to complex processes but noted that regulators need to be able to ensure AI is “responsibly deployed.”
Bills pending in both the Florida Senate and House of Representative would specify that humans ultimately must make decisions about insurance claim denials. Governor Ron DeSantis’ recently-proposed AI Bill of Rights encourages regulations that preclude AI from being the sole determinant of claim denials of insurance claims.
Commissioner Yaworsky more generally discussed that consumers should be informed when insurers are using artificial intelligence processes. He also has talked about ensuring insurers that use AI have a “human in the loop” who has appropriate expertise and understands how AI is being used. Commissioner Yaworsky advocated for public policy that would “provide a path where, if it [AI] is being used, it is being used responsibly, known to the regulator.”
The Commissioner’s comments come as Florida policymakers seek to comprehensively evaluate how AI is being used and how it might affect Floridians. In addition to the Governor’s proposed Bill of Rights, House Speaker Danny Perez has said the week of December 8 will be “Artificial Intelligence Week,” in which House subcommittees will discuss the impacts AI on the various subject matters they monitor.