The purpose of this webinar series is to examine how artificial intelligence (AI) is being introduced into serious illness care and what that means for the people and relationships at its center. Drawing on the perspectives of health system leaders, researchers, ethicists, and palliative care clinicians, the series will provide a forum for candid exchange and forward-looking dialogue about where AI strengthens human connection in serious illness care, where it may weaken or displace it, and what obligations health systems have to patients and families.

The webinar is not intended to produce formal recommendations, but rather to elevate emerging evidence, clarify where important questions remain open, and identify opportunities where further investment, coordination, or guardrails may be warranted.

By the end of the series, participants will aim to:

• Explore how AI is being used to identify patients who could benefit from earlier palliative care or serious illness support, and what health systems should predict, target, and do once a patient is identified.
• Examine the responsibilities health systems assume when they place AI tools directly in front of patients, and what is required to protect accuracy, accessibility, trust, and follow-through.
• Consider how AI is being woven into the clinical encounter itself, and what may be gained — and what may be missed or distorted — when AI interprets nuanced clinical documentation and conversations.
• Surface the ethical guardrails needed as AI touches some of the most personal decisions patients and families face, including accountability, transparency, human oversight, and equity.
• Explore how AI may reshape serious illness communication training, and what still requires expert human facilitation.

The webinar series is being convened by the Roundtable on Quality Care for People with Serious Illness, a standing activity of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The Roundtable provides a neutral venue for fostering ongoing dialogue about improving care for people of all ages facing all stages of serious illness. The Roundtable member planning group for this series is Jane Carmody (John A. Hartford Foundation), Matthew Gonzales (Institute for Human Caring), Thomas Priselac (Cedars Sinai Health System), Phillip Rodgers (University of Michigan), and Cardinale Smith (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center).