Your Brain’s a Muscle, so don’t let AI Take it from You

Conference Recap

Is cognitive atrophy something you think about? If not, a WCI panel featuring Alexander Almazan of Almazan Law, Mark Pew of WorkCompCollege, Chris Brigham of Brigham and Associates, and Andy Anderson of OraClaim, advised that now might to be a good time to change your thoughts.

The panelists emphasized that AI's greatest potential in workers' compensation may be its ability to analyze large volumes of claims data, identify patterns, and help professionals make more informed decisions. However, they stressed that judgment, accountability, and expertise will remain uniquely human responsibilities.

"A lot of people don't think of the brain as a muscle, but it absolutely is," Pew said. "Do you know the phone number of your best friend? You don't have to because it's in your phone."

And while no one would advise going back to rotary phones and memorizing every number in your contacts list, you can keep your thinking skills sharp.

"If you rely on the tool to tell you how to think, you can over-rely on that," Pew said. "What I have learned is if I lose my critical thinking, I myself might not know the answer."

The challenge that comes from "outsourcing" critical thinking, according to Pew, is that when you need those skills, you won't have them ready.

"At some point, that's not going to work for you; at some point, the internet is going to go out and you won't be able to find the answer," Pew said. "You use your brain and leverage AI for the broader context."

Brigham advised that challenging yourself is a path to keeping mentally fit.

"Stimulate your brain," Brigham said. "You can see other ways of thinking."

Candlemakers in 2026

Almazan framed the rise of AI in terms of similar innovations from the past, especially lightbulbs. When Thomas Edison was changing the world, one would have been forgiven to think that candle making was on its way out.

However, it's now a $14 billion industry and most everyone has it at least one candle somewhere at home.

"Candlemakers weren't selling wicks and wax," Almazan said. "They were selling dinners that last past sunset. We need to think of ourselves as candlemakers in 2026."

Anderson noted that AI isn't new in terms of how it will change how things work.

"There's been different disruptions over the years," he said. "Everyone appreciates that AI can do things, but I don't think we appreciate how things are going to change, and that's really where the data comes in."

And data is really what AI is all about.

"AI leverages the ability to use data at scale, and that's what workers' comp needs right now," Anderson said.

Time isn't Money

Pew raised an idea, often attributed to Elon Musk, that within 3 years, hourly wages will be a thing of the past. Whether or not labor becomes optional remains to be seen, but what is clear is that work and compensation are in the process of unprecedented change.

To illustrate the point, Almazan told the story of a Norwegian shipbuilder who was called to fix a ship that wouldn't run. The shipbuilder came with a hammer, did some work on the engine, and got the ship running. When asked what his bill was, the shipbuilder said $10,000

"$2 for the hammer, and $9,998 for my knowing what to do with it," the shipbuilder said.

"When we talk about 'human in the loop,' we're talking about who to blame and who to praise," Almazan said. "The most valuable thing law school gives you is the value of your signature."

Regardless of how you use AI to work, it's now the reality of work, and organizations should have a plan.

"If you don't know where you're going, you'll definitely get there," Anderson said. "What's going to be revolutionary is unlocking the data sitting in these claims. You can't manage what you can't measure."

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