Framework for Evaluating Data-Driven Technology and Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

WHEREAS, the rapid integration of artificial intelligence, including large language models, algorithmic tools, and related technologies is transforming healthcare delivery and the professional landscape for healthcare workers; and

WHEREAS, healthcare and technology corporations are increasingly deploying technologies to reduce labor costs and exert greater control over the workforce, prioritizing corporate profitability over patient care, clinician expertise and professional standards; and

WHEREAS, algorithmic tools are prone to error, bias and "hallucinations" that, when deployed at scale, can produce systemic harms, compromising patient safety and public health; and

WHEREAS, the AFT supports technologies that enhance patient care and are operated under the control and direction of licensed clinicians, provided they are proven safe, reliable and a net benefit to patients, healthcare workers, and do not replace the human foundation of healthcare; and

WHEREAS, unlike traditional medical devices or pharmaceuticals, many AI-enabled tools are introduced into clinical environments without sufficient independent validation in diverse clinical settings, risking patient safety and healthcare worker liability; and

WHEREAS, the AFT, other unions, and the broader labor movement play a critical role in shaping if, how and when such technologies are implemented and analyzing the impact on both healthcare workers and patients across the United States; and

WHEREAS, patients have a right to compassionate, in-person care from licensed professionals; and

WHEREAS, generative AI tools and data-driven technologies have been shown to reproduce and exacerbate existing inequities through biased algorithms, discriminatory treatment recommendations, and unequal allocation of healthcare resources, resulting in worsened outcomes for marginalized communities; and

WHEREAS, the structural demands of AI systems, including energy-intensive data centers and resource extraction, can degrade air quality, water availability, energy access, and preservation of communal lands, negatively impacting communities’ social determinants of health; and

WHEREAS, private companies develop proprietary "black box" healthcare technologies that shield their logic from clinicians and patients, undermining transparency and accountability while threatening the privacy and security of sensitive worker and patient data; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will support rigorous assessment of patients' social determinants of health in the evaluation of new technologies prior to implementation, recognizing that income, housing stability, language, and access to care shape health outcomes; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will work to ensure healthcare workers and their unions have a formal, enforceable role in the decision, evaluation, selection, implementation and ongoing oversight of technologies in their workplaces, including access to relevant data and system performance metrics; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will advocate that patients must be informed in clear, accessible, culturally and linguistically appropriate ways when AI or data-driven technologies are used in their care and retain the right to opt out, when possible, without penalty or loss of access to care; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will vigorously oppose any technology used to automate discipline, surveil staff, or exploit worker data to justify unsafe staffing and algorithmic performance management scoring; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will reject any technological implementation that supersedes, interferes with, or overrides the clinical judgment of a licensed healthcare worker; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will demand that any new technologies undergo rigorous, independent, third-party clinical testing and validation to ensure they are safe, effective, and a net benefit to patients and healthcare workers prior to implementation; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT demands strong, enforceable data protections, including strict limits on the collection, use, sharing, and sale of patient and worker data, and safeguards for de-identified data consistent with and exceeding federal privacy standards such as HIPAA; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will fight to ensure employers and healthcare institutions bear responsibility for adverse outcomes resulting from the use or misuse of technology, and that such responsibility shall not be placed on individual healthcare workers or unions; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will support affiliates in developing policy guidance, education, collective bargaining protections, and legislative and regulatory enforcement strategies to ensure accountability, transparency, and worker and patient protections.

Adopted October 8, 2026