The AI in Business Podcast AI Adoption and Skepticism in Regulated Industries - with Ylan Kazi of Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota
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Jan 27, 2026 
Ylan Kazi, Chief Data and AI Officer at Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota, balances AI innovation with governance in regulated healthcare. He discusses framing AI risk with everyday analogies. He explains forming cross-functional teams for practical policies. He outlines an AI 'do no harm' approach using low-risk pilots. He highlights AI uses that improve patient experience like lab explanations and wait-time predictions.
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Balance Safety With Realistic Risk Framing
- Leaders should balance safety and innovation by treating AI risks realistically instead of defaulting to paralysis.
- Ylan Kazi compares AI risk tolerance to everyday accepted risks like driving to reframe AI adoption.
AI Held To Stricter Standards Than Humans
- People expect higher standards from AI than from humans despite equivalent error rates.
- Ylan Kazi suggests comparing AI accuracy to human performance to set fair expectations.
Include Diverse Stakeholders Early
- Form cross-functional teams including legal, finance, HR, builders, and frontline staff before drafting AI policies.
- This prevents creating academic policies that lack real-world applicability, Ylan Kazi warns.