Ben Conley Discusses Fiduciary Risks of AI-Driven Benefits Decisions in HR.com

HR.com quoted Employee Benefits partner Benjamin Conley in its article, “What Happens When AI Denies Your Claim.” The piece, published on June 18, 2026, explores the growing legal, compliance, and operational risks tied to the use of AI in employee benefits claims processing, including ongoing litigation and increased regulatory scrutiny.

Conley highlighted the fiduciary challenges that arise when AI tools influence or make claims decisions, emphasizing the need for employers to carefully assess how these systems are used and governed. 

He also pointed to a lesser-discussed risk with AI systems—their tendency to generate overly agreeable or expansive outputs—which can encourage unsupported claims and significantly increase the volume and complexity of disputes benefits teams must manage. As Conley noted, AI tools can be “eager to please users even where the participant's claim is without merit.”

The full article is available here.