Utah Enhances Pro-Human AI Initiative with New Healthcare Pillar, Adds New Pilots to its Regulatory Sandbox, and Partners with Third-Party Evaluators
New Regulatory Agreements Enhance Safety and Transparency through Comprehensive Oversight of Clinical AI Pilots
SALT LAKE CITY—In a groundbreaking announcement today, Utah and its Pro-Human AI Taskforce unveiled the addition of a Healthcare pillar to its Pro-Human AI Initiative and new Taskforce member, Tracy Gruber, Commissioner of the Utah Department of Health and Human Services. The new pillar marks a significant advancement in the state’s commitment to responsible AI innovation. This advancement involves expanding the regulatory sandbox’s capabilities and participants within the Utah Department of Commerce’s Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy (OAIP), accompanied by timely policy recommendations and milestones to ensure safety and transparency in the development and deployment of healthcare AI technologies.
OAIP’s expansion focuses on launching a new network of independent third-party evaluators to rigorously assess and verify each sandbox pilot, as well as authorizing new regulatory mitigation agreements with healthcare providers and digital health companies.
“Establishing the Healthcare pillar within the Pro-Human AI Initiative is pivotal as we navigate the complexities of AI in healthcare,” stated Pro-Human AI Taskforce co-chair and Utah Department of Commerce Commissioner Margaret Woolley Busse. “The Office of AI Policy is creating a model framework where AI can enhance healthcare outcomes while ensuring robust oversight and accountability. With these advancements, we are paving the way for a future where AI serves humanity, prioritizing patient safety and public trust.”
As the national discussion around AI grows, Utah has established a proactive model for data-driven accountability. Rather than relying solely on companies’ self-reported claims, OAIP is embedding independent technical and health system evaluators directly into the state’s oversight framework, ensuring that healthcare AI remains human-guided from pilot through deployment.
“Our foundational approach is that technical innovation will never supersede patient safety,” said Zach Boyd, Director of OAIP. “By integrating independent third-party clinical evaluators directly into our process, we ensure that every claim made by AI developers is independently verified. Every pilot remains under strict state oversight, and every deployment prioritizes Utahns’ health and well-being.”
Third-Party Evaluator Network
To guarantee trust, algorithmic transparency, and clinical efficacy, OAIP has signed agreements with six independent third-party evaluators. These organizations will assist state regulators by validating technical attestations made by sandbox participants, auditing accuracy in AI decision reporting, and providing independent clinical evaluations for alignment with established medical standards. The evaluators include:
● Coalition for Health AI (CHAI)
● Stanford Clinical Excellence Research Center
New Regulatory Mitigation Agreements
OAIP has also announced five regulatory mitigation agreements (one to three-year pilots) across various healthcare delivery areas. These agreements allow participating organizations to create controlled environments to gather real-world safety and efficacy data for clinical AI tools. Participating organizations include:
- University of Utah Health and Intermountain Health were both approved for umbrella agreements to establish expedited review pathways for future, individually vetted healthcare AI pilots.
- Nolla Health was approved for a targeted pilot to assess AI-assisted visual evaluations and treatment pathways for mild-to-moderate acne, under specialist oversight.
- Expect Fitness was approved for an AI-enabled physical therapy pathway to support women experiencing postpartum recovery, urinary incontinence, and pelvic health issues.
- August AI was approved for a stage-gated pilot for prescription refills of routine, non-controlled chronic disease medications, maintaining strict requirements for human physician review before prescriptions are authorized.
These pilots are subject to multi-layered state oversight in coordination with the Department of Commerce’s Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL). Participating organizations must enforce clear patient AI disclosures, maintain specialty medical malpractice insurance, operate under strict 24-hour incident response plans, and preserve traditional legal remedies for patients.
Data gathered throughout these pilots will be shared with the Utah Legislature and the public to inform future, permanent, evidence-based healthcare regulations.
A press conference will be held on Monday, October 5, 2026, at 10:00 am in the Presentation Room of the Utah State Capitol Building. Join the press conference virtually.
A comprehensive media package, including information from our evaluators and pilot participants, is available here. For more details on active agreements, auditor frameworks, and pilot safety protocols, visit ai.utah.gov. To learn more about Utah’s Pro-Human AI Initiative and Taskforce, visit prohumanai.utah.gov.
The Utah Department of Commerce is the licensing and registration agency for Utah’s professional and business community. Within its eleven divisions, Commerce provides oversight of artificial intelligence policy, business registrations, trademarks, Uniform Commercial Code filings, professional licensing, consumer protection, public utilities, securities, real estate, and residential mortgage lending. We respond to and investigate consumer complaints within our jurisdiction, taking appropriate action when necessary.
The Pro-Human AI initiative, launched in 2025 by Governor Spencer Cox, aims to unify advancements across seven key pillars: academia, healthcare, industry, learning and education, public protection, state government, and workforce. This framework places people at the heart of technological decision-making, emphasizing that AI must be human-guided, adaptable, accountable, and understandable. Committed to enhancing human potential, Pro-Human AI seeks to expand capabilities, foster innovation, and deepen connections among individuals and communities. Through this initiative, Utah aspires to create a value-driven AI ecosystem that is pioneering, empowering, and connective, ensuring that technology serves the needs and dignity of all individuals.
Media Contact:
Melanie Hall
Communications Director
Utah Department of Commerce
[email protected]
385-290-0719
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