Rafferty Domnick Cunningham & Yaffa’s Nicole Kruegel: Mental Health Care Should Not Be AI’s Testing Ground
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla., July 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As healthcare providers across the country continue exploring the use of artificial intelligence in patient care, Nicole Kruegel of Rafferty Domnick Cunningham & Yaffa is urging healthcare organizations to ensure that innovation never outpaces patient safety—particularly when treating individuals experiencing mental health crises.
Kruegel’s comments follow a groundbreaking report this week by San Francisco public broadcaster KQED detailing concerns raised during a hearing before the San Francisco Board of Supervisors regarding Kaiser Permanente’s proposed use of AI and automated tools in aspects of its mental health services. According to KQED’s reporting, therapists and union representatives argued that expanded reliance on algorithms and automated triage could undermine access to licensed mental health professionals. Kaiser has disputed those characterizations, stating that it does not use AI to diagnose patients or make clinical decisions and remains focused on providing timely, high-quality mental health care.
“The question isn’t whether artificial intelligence belongs in healthcare,” Kruegel said. “Used appropriately, AI has tremendous potential to reduce administrative burdens, improve efficiency, and support clinicians. The question is whether we are asking patients—particularly those experiencing a mental health crisis—to trust systems that have not yet demonstrated they improve care.”
Kruegel emphasized that AI itself is neither inherently beneficial nor inherently harmful.
“Artificial intelligence is value-neutral,” she said. “Like any medical technology, it should be judged by one standard: Does it make patients safer and improve outcomes? Until healthcare organizations can answer that question with evidence, caution is not opposition to innovation. It’s responsible medicine.”
As a medical malpractice attorney, Kruegel noted that many of the most serious patient injuries do not result from a single clinical error, but from failures within larger healthcare systems.
“Some of the most significant cases arise because of communication breakdowns, inadequate staffing, delayed referrals, or flawed protocols,” she said. “If AI becomes part of that system, it should be held to exactly the same standard as every other component of patient care. Technology doesn’t eliminate accountability. It simply changes where accountability lies.”
Kruegel said the concerns raised in the KQED report should encourage a broader national conversation as hospitals, insurers, and healthcare providers continue integrating AI into patient care.
“Every new medication, every medical device, and every surgical technique is expected to demonstrate safety and effectiveness before becoming part of routine medical practice,” she said. “Artificial intelligence should meet the same standard—especially when it may influence access to mental health care.”
She stressed that the discussion should not become a referendum on artificial intelligence itself.
“This isn’t about rejecting technology,” Kruegel said. “It’s about recognizing that people seeking treatment for depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, or other mental health conditions are often among the most vulnerable patients in our healthcare system. They deserve innovations that have earned their trust through evidence—not technologies that are still earning their footing.”
“Healthcare has always advanced through innovation,” Kruegel concluded. “But it has also advanced through rigorous evaluation. Patients should never become the proving ground for technologies that have not yet demonstrated they can safely support the care they need.”
About Rafferty Domnick Cunningham & Yaffa
Rafferty Domnick Cunningham & Yaffa is a leading Florida law firm dedicated to advocating for victims of mass torts, medical malpractice and corporate negligence. With a track record of holding powerful institutions accountable, the firm fights for justice on behalf of individuals and families affected by preventable harm.
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