UnitedHealth Tracks Employee AI Usage as It Expands Automation Push

UnitedHealth Group is tracking how often some employees use artificial intelligence tools as part of a broader effort to integrate AI across its operations, according to a Bloomberg report published by the Boston Herald.

The company is reportedly monitoring whether some workers in its Optum division perform at least one AI query per day using tools such as ChatGPT from OpenAI and Copilot from Microsoft.

Bloomberg reported that an internal dashboard tracks AI usage, employee training progress, and adoption gaps. A company document reviewed by Bloomberg also stated that AI applications had helped avoid more than 15 million calls, adjudicate hundreds of millions of claims, and contribute more than 150 million lines of code.

A UnitedHealth spokesperson told Bloomberg that the company is investing in AI “to fundamentally transform how we organize, operate, and work as a company moving forward.”

The insurer has publicly outlined its AI strategy on its corporate website, including deployments across claims processing, administrative operations, customer service, and clinical workflows.

AI Moves Deeper Into Claims and Administrative Systems

The company’s push comes as healthcare organizations move AI beyond pilot programs and into core operational infrastructure tied to reimbursement, coding, and patient administration.

Optum recently introduced Optum Real, an AI-powered platform designed to speed up claims processing and reduce waste across payment workflows.

The company has also expanded AI-powered prior authorization tools intended to automate portions of provider approvals and reduce administrative delays.

UnitedHealth Chief Financial Officer Wayne DeVeydt said at a recent investor conference that the company sees AI as a way to improve speed and agility across the business.

The company plans to invest roughly $1.5 billion into AI initiatives this year and expects at least a 2-to-1 return on those investments, according to conference remarks.

The investment comes as healthcare companies increasingly embed AI into operational systems rather than standalone experiments. Recent deployments across healthcare workflows have focused on measurable throughput improvements, coding efficiency, and claims automation.

AI systems are also moving deeper into healthcare billing infrastructure, where insurers and providers are targeting administrative bottlenecks tied to reimbursement workflows.

AI Expansion Brings Regulatory and Operational Risks

UnitedHealth’s growing AI footprint comes alongside increased scrutiny around how insurers use algorithms in healthcare decision-making.

In its latest annual report, the company added new disclosures warning that inaccurate, incomplete, or biased AI outputs could affect operations, compliance, and financial performance.

The company is also still dealing with the fallout from the 2024 cyberattack on Change Healthcare, which disrupted healthcare payment systems across the U.S. and exposed data tied to roughly 190 million Americans.

That incident has become part of a broader industry debate over operational risk as healthcare companies centralize more infrastructure around software, automation, and AI systems.

At the same time, analysts have increasingly linked UnitedHealth’s AI strategy to its efforts to improve profitability after last year’s operational pressures and Medicare reimbursement challenges. Raymond James upgraded the stock to a buy-equivalent rating in April, partly citing the company’s AI initiatives, according to Bloomberg’s reporting.