Usage Of AI/LLM In Benefits Practices

A recent reply to an old thread got me curious, what do you use AI/LLM ("AI") for in your practice, if any?  Are you allowed to use it all?  Do you use it internally or externally (with clients)?

I have had this discussion in smaller settings, and I recognize that use of AI varies greatly.

I'll start us off with some easy examples from my practice:

- We do not use AI for anything with PII data, even if the workspace is locked down (not used to inform the AI outside of our workspace)

- We do not use it for legal or compliance questions. I have seen many benefits adjacent professionals do this and the answers can be frightening.  "ChatGPT said we are not an Affiliated Service Group" is a scary sentence...

- We use it to review and revise communications.  Don't like how your email sounds?  feed it to an AI to make it easier to read, understand, etc.

- We use it as a tool to help with formulas and macros for excel.

- I am playing with it as an internal Q&A tool.  By creating your own GPT, you can have the AI prompt you with questions (instead of asking it questions) and limit the source material it looks at to the specific documents you provide. 

Tell me more about creating your own GPT!

1 hour ago, Dave Baker said:

Tell me more about creating your own GPT!

Sure!  There are tons of GPTs in ChatGPT and other AI apps.  For example, there's an excel GPT in ChatGPT that is focused on excel, so your answers are going to be tailored to excel.

I'm creating a few custom ones for my own use or internal use.  For example, an EPCRS GPT.   I have limited it to using the current version of EPCRS and my instructions (which are expanding and help narrow answers). It's still in early stages, but so far its a good way to find answers or the correct section quickly. 

Another one im playing around with is a Controlled Group GPT.  Instead of feeding it all the data you think it needs, it prompts you for input. 

In a nutshell, the CGGPT starts by asking you how many entities you are working with.  Lets say you answer "3"

The next question it asks is how many owners between all three entities.

After you answer, it asks about each owner's equity in each entity. 

And so on.  

The basic idea is to have the GPT ask you for all the relevant data instead of you asking it to make a determination based on the data you give it.   The more prompts you pre-program, the more questions are asked.  You can get super detailed or very basic.

It's a fun process to go through (for us pension nerds 🤓) and hopefully you get a useful tool in the end.

I also have another one I have started uploading different plan documents to and building instructions in order to determine where certain provisions are and how they are similar or different by vendor.

I know of at least one company put there working on a document AI to help you map from one vendor to another.  

It's exciting stuff as long as you have guidelines you use it properly.  

Smart approach to AI—using it for efficiency (emails, Excel) while avoiding legal/PII risks. The internal Q&A tool sounds promising! For creative content, check out WittyForge.

On 7/7/2025 at 6:30 PM, RatherBeGolfing said:

A recent reply to an old thread got me curious, what do you use AI/LLM ("AI") for in your practice, if any?  Are you allowed to use it all?  Do you use it internally or externally (with clients)?

I have had this discussion in smaller settings, and I recognize that use of AI varies greatly.

I'll start us off with some easy examples from my practice:

- We do not use AI for anything with PII data, even if the workspace is locked down (not used to inform the AI outside of our workspace)

- We do not use it for legal or compliance questions. I have seen many benefits adjacent professionals do this and the answers can be frightening.  "ChatGPT said we are not an Affiliated Service Group" is a scary sentence...

- We use it to review and revise communications.  Don't like how your email sounds?  feed it to an AI to make it easier to read, understand, etc.

- We use it as a tool to help with formulas and macros for excel.

- I am playing with it as an internal Q&A tool.  By creating your own GPT, you can have the AI prompt you with questions (instead of asking it questions) and limit the source material it looks at to the specific documents you provide. 

If you're interested in exploring AI tools beyond the usual, I recommend trying out https://overchat.ai/chat/ai-brainrot-generator — a free and versatile AI platform great for brainstorming, generating creative content, or simply experimenting with different AI models. It’s been quite handy for me to get fresh ideas and insights during work.

Thank you for the interesting question and for sharing your experience! I have similar approaches to working with AI.

I completely agree with the limitations of using AI with personal data and in matters related to legal or regulatory responsibility - these areas require a very careful and professional approach, and AI does not yet replace experts there.

For me, AI is a great assistant in routine tasks, such as editing and improving texts, writing drafts of letters or documents, helping with formulas and code. It is especially convenient to use AI for generating ideas and speeding up work with information.

The idea of internal Q&A via custom GPT sounds very promising - this can significantly increase the efficiency of access to the necessary information within the team.

In general, I try to use AI as a tool for supporting and speeding up work, and not as a final source of decisions, especially in critical issues. Thank you for raising such an important topic!

I work at a law firm (not in an HR/Benefits role, though that's my background). We have access to an AI platform tied to Westlaw.  I use as a short cut to find the given code/regulation I need and maybe provide a summary, but always go back to the primary source. Also love it to draft emails when I'm too tired to think. Even simple emails where tone matters as much as content.