AI in PI: Artificial Intelligence in Personal Injury, including Mass Torts AI

Companies and regulators have used software to detect hazards, safety signals, for years. FDA maintains numerous databases in which consumers, healthcare providers, and hospitals can report problems with drugs, vaccines, and medical devices.

Many Tools Exist to Help Identify Product Failures and Safety Risks

Companies have many resources available to detect hazards, pre and post market. Conducting pre-market testing can identify risks to consumers. Once detected, companies can modify product designs to control the risks and make the products safer.

Sources for signals include online complaint boards, complaint hotlines, news articles, medical journals, regulatory databases. See, e.g., FDA Databases; CPSC Data. Private companies provide additional insights into available safety data. See, e.g., Device Events | Improve Patient Outcomes & Reduce Risk Through Better Information.

AI to Predict Product Failures and Prevent Recalls

A company, Axion Ray, created an AI platform to predict product recalls. It looks at “signals” from various sources to predict a product may be failing.

Axion Ray’s AI attempts to detect product flaws to prevent recalls | TechCrunch

PI attorneys, especially mass tort attorneys, may use this software to identify design defects and failures to warn. Additionally, it could support negligence claims. Sometime soon, one might argue proactive surveillance software like this may be standard of care. Rather than waiting for folks to report and the responding, companies may have a duty to employe AI-based software to go and look for signals and get ahead of them.