NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Artificial intelligence is poised to change how leave management professionals handle work, experts said last week during the 2026 Disability Management Employer Coalition Annual Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. For those without a third-party administrator, the technology offers a new way to stay abreast of changing laws throughout the country, DMEC CEO Bryon Bass told HR Dive. Yet, even as AI transforms work, the employee needs to remain the central focus, Bass said. The question is: Where are there opportunities to utilize AI in a way to make an interaction from a human-to-human perspective even more effective and beneficial?” For these and other stories, read on below for our full coverage of the conference.