Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | January 26, 2026 | Worcester Business Journal 15 al Center for Experiential Learning and Simulation lab. iCELS is a center focused on simulating real-life scenar- ios to train students, professionals, and technologies. AI is impacting how providers deliver care, how patients receive care, and how both interact, said Dr. Melissa Fischer, iCELS executive director. "Anytime you make a change in a complex system like a healthcare system, it's best to study it from mul- tiple perspectives … and say 'What might the intended and unintended outcomes be?'" Fischer said. iCELS is testing a new AI app designed to assess whether less invasive technology can be used in predictive testing. e lab has used simulations with volunteers to analyze how potential patients interact with the technology, how providers interact with the information, and if the AI gives providers enough information to make clinical decisions. Volunteers are walked through the application to see how easily they can access, download, understand, and use the technology. iCELS only test AI tools on volun- teers, and not real patients, though Fischer hopes to one day have patients interact with providers around AI. "How do you communicate about it in a patient care experience, and how does that impact the clinician patient experience? How does that impact any potential trust between the clinician and the patient?" she said. Unsexy AI When McManus and Zai originally started the Assurance Lab, they thought they'd focus on AI in clinical tools to help with diagnoses and to better prepare lesser-trained providers. As the lab rounds out its first ninth months of operation, that target has shied. "Health AI applications should be scoped to include things that are really not that sexy," said McManus. ose unsexy applications include acting as a scribe during appointments or more administrative tasks, like decid- ing the order in which a fleet of vehicles should be sent out or scheduling patients for colonoscopies. "A lot of where I see health AI going is to start first, potentially, with getting people comfortable with AI, with some of the things that aren't as risky or as hard or as threatening," McManus said. McManus reads news articles saying AI will replace doctors, but he said that concept isn't going to pass any legal muster anytime soon. In a life-or-death industry like health care, patients won't jump to be the first to have AI oversee their care. "Today, you need to have a human process involved. No AI directly makes any decision without human oversight," said Zai. "It's going to be like that for a little while until there's a much better safety blanket." UMass Chan Medical School's iCELS lab is used to perform human-in-the-loop testing of AI tools, in addition to training providers for real-world patient care (pictured). PHOTO | COURTESY OF UMASS CHAN MEDICAL SCHOOL We plan on doing more with AI The implementation of artificial intelligence within business operations has soared within the past five years. In 2024, 78% of organizations reported using AI, representing a jump from the 55% that used AI 2023, according to Stanford University's Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence. That usage is expected to increase, as Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn said, "AI is going to reshape every industry and every job." When polled online, the majority of WBJ readers said their companies plan on doing more with AI. How much have you incorporated AI into your business operations? Somewhat, and we plan on doing more. 50% A little bit, but we don't have any major future plans for it. 30% None, nor do we plan to. 12% Dr. Melissa Fischer, iCELS executive director "Health AI applications should be scoped to include things that are really not that sexy." Dr. David McManus Co-led for the UMass Chan AI Assurance Lab AI in health care The healthcare industry deploys AI at a rate 144 times that of the overall U.S. business economy. Share of U.S. companies that pay for AI applications, as of September Sector 2025 Overall U.S. economy 9% Overall healthcare industry 22% Healthcare - health systems 27% Healthcare - outpatient providers 18% Healthcare - payers 14% Source: Menlo Ventures W Completely, it's revolutionized our operations. 8%

• Cover