UnitedHealth Group names Duke’s Michael Pencina chief AI scientist

Casey Ross covers the use of artificial intelligence in medicine and its underlying questions of safety, fairness, and privacy.

UnitedHealth Group has tapped a Duke University artificial intelligence expert to be its chief AI scientist as the health care giant ramps up the use of the technology across its sprawling network of businesses, according to a memo obtained by STAT.

Michael Pencina, chief data scientist for Duke Health, stepped down from his role at Duke on Wednesday to take the job at UnitedHealth, according to the memo from Mary Klotman, dean of the Duke University School of Medicine. 

At Duke, Pencina has sought to increase oversight of AI tools used in health care and has pressed for the creation of a national registry of AI tools that would track where AI products are being used and disclose details about their training, development, and performance. Pencina is also a co-founder of the Coalition for Health AI, a group that has sought to develop standards for testing and oversight of AI tools used in health care.