Will artificial intelligence replace the benefits broker?

NEW ORLEANS – If you ask your Amazon Alexa device to tell you the difference between a heath savings account and a health reimbursement account, you're likely to get a response along the lines of "I don't understand." But is there a future where digital assistants like Alexa or Apple's Siri could replace a broker in the benefits selection process? If you're doing your job well, the answer is most likely a no, says Reid Rasmussen, co-founder and chief executive of benefits consulting firm freshbenies at the Benefits Forum & Expo, but if you can learn to leverage new technology to your advantage, it can help you be a better broker. "It isn't about finding a'techier' way to do something, but how do you use it to improve business and the way you interact with people," he says. Technology is getting smarter, particularly in the healthcare industry, he says, and big tech companies like Google and Apple are investing money in the space.