FAST-07 Reading List: Industry-Specific AI Applications for Massachusetts Sectors

Provider: 7formations | Course: FAST-07 | Instructor: Wadood Chaudhary | Links verified by fetch or search as of Oct 2026

Readings mix three kinds of source: evidence about where AI is actually used and paying off, the rules that limit AI use in each sector (federal and Massachusetts), and practical documentation standards (plain language, safety programs). Read the general items plus the ones for your sector track. This list is training material, not legal advice; confirm rules with your compliance lead.

How to use. Required readings take 20 to 45 minutes per session and are done before (or right after) the session they support. Optional readings go deeper. 'Living page' means the publisher updates it continuously; read the current version. Reading times are estimates for the parts that matter to this course, not the whole document.

Session 1: AI in your industry, honestly

Required

• The state of AI in 2026: On the road to ROI
  Publisher: McKinsey & Company (QuantumBlack) | Date: August 25, 2026 | Reading time: about 15 min
  URL: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/quantumblack/our-insights/the-state-of-ai
  Why read: McKinsey's August 2026 survey. Read the key takeaways: individual productivity gains are common, but only a minority report enterprise financial impact. Good evidence for sorting 'mature' from 'hype.'

• Artificial Intelligence (Insurance Topics)
  Publisher: National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) | Date: Last updated April 3, 2026 | Reading time: about 10 min
  URL: https://content.naic.org/insurance-topics/artificial-intelligence
  Why read: Insurance track (and useful for everyone): how insurers report using AI by line of business, from NAIC surveys, and where regulators are heading in 2026.

• 201 CMR 17.00: Standards for the Protection of Personal Information of MA Residents
  Publisher: Mass.gov, Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation | Date: Regulation page dated 10/19/2017 (in force since 2010) | Reading time: about 15 min
  URL: https://www.mass.gov/regulations/201-CMR-1700-standards-for-the-protection-of-personal-information-of-ma-residents
  Why read: 201 CMR 17.00. Read the definition of personal information (17.02). It applies in every sector.

Optional

• The 2025 AI Index Report
  Publisher: Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI) | Date: April 2025 | Reading time: about 20 min
  URL: https://hai.stanford.edu/ai-index/2025-ai-index-report
  Why read: Stanford HAI's AI Index. Skim the chapter on the economy for adoption data by industry.

• Summary of the HIPAA Privacy Rule
  Publisher: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights | Date: Content last reviewed March 14, 2025 | Reading time: about 20 min
  URL: https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/privacy/laws-regulations/index.html
  Why read: Healthcare and life-sciences track: the HHS summary of the HIPAA Privacy Rule. Read 'What Information is Protected' and 'Business Associates.'

Session 2: Core sector tasks

Required

• Plain Language Materials & Resources (Health Literacy)
  Publisher: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | Date: July 21, 2025 | Reading time: about 10 min
  URL: https://www.cdc.gov/health-literacy/php/develop-materials/plain-language.html
  Why read: Plain-language standards for patient and customer materials. Use them as the measuring stick for handouts, coverage explanations, and notices.

• Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs (Safety Management)
  Publisher: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) | Date: Living page | Reading time: about 10 min
  URL: https://www.osha.gov/safety-management
  Why read: Manufacturing, construction, and logistics tracks: OSHA's recommended practices for safety programs. A toolbox talk or work instruction should fit your program, not replace it.

Optional

• AHRQ Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit
  Publisher: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality | Date: Living page | Reading time: about 20 min
  URL: https://www.ahrq.gov/health-literacy/improve/precautions/index.html
  Why read: Healthcare track: AHRQ's health literacy toolkit. The 'teach-back' and written-materials tools apply to any patient handout an AI drafts.

• Choosing effective patient education materials
  Publisher: MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine) | Date: Living page | Reading time: about 8 min
  URL: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000455.htm
  Why read: Healthcare track: what makes patient education material effective.

• Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework: Generative Artificial Intelligence Profile, NIST AI 600-1
  Publisher: NIST | Date: July 2024 | Reading time: about 25 min
  URL: https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/ai/NIST.AI.600-1.pdf
  Why read: NIST's Generative AI Profile. Read the list of GAI risks (confabulation, information integrity) for the failure modes you see in sector labs.

Session 3: Rules and software

Required

• Bulletin 2024-10: The Use of Artificial Intelligence Systems in Insurance
  Publisher: Massachusetts Division of Insurance | Date: December 9, 2024 | Reading time: about 15 min
  URL: https://www.mass.gov/doc/bulletin-2024-10-the-use-of-artificial-intelligence-systems-in-insurance-issued-december-9-2024/download
  Why read: Insurance track: Massachusetts Division of Insurance Bulletin 2024-10. Insurers remain responsible for AI-supported decisions and must govern them.

• Consumer Financial Protection Circular 2022-03: Adverse action notification requirements in connection with credit decisions based on complex algorithms
  Publisher: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau | Date: May 26, 2022 | Reading time: about 8 min
  URL: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/compliance/circulars/circular-2022-03-adverse-action-notification-requirements-in-connection-with-credit-decisions-based-on-complex-algorithms/
  Why read: Financial services track: lenders must give specific reasons for adverse actions even when a complex model is used.

• Attorney General Advisory on the Application of the Commonwealth's Consumer Protection, Civil Rights, and Data Privacy Laws to Artificial Intelligence
  Publisher: Massachusetts Attorney General's Office | Date: April 16, 2024 | Reading time: about 15 min
  URL: https://www.mass.gov/doc/ago-ai-advisory-41624/download
  Why read: All tracks: the Massachusetts Attorney General's April 2024 advisory. Existing consumer-protection, civil-rights, and data-privacy laws apply to AI, including claims vendors make.

Optional

• General Laws Chapter 93H: Security Breaches
  Publisher: The 194th General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts | Date: Current statute text | Reading time: about 10 min
  URL: https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXV/Chapter93H
  Why read: All tracks: the Massachusetts security-breach statute that defines personal information and notice duties.

• Guidance Regarding Methods for De-identification of Protected Health Information in Accordance with the HIPAA Privacy Rule
  Publisher: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights | Date: Content last reviewed February 3, 2025 | Reading time: about 20 min
  URL: https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/special-topics/de-identification/index.html
  Why read: Healthcare track: the two HIPAA de-identification methods. Explains why 'removing the name' is not de-identification.

• Food Allergies (major food allergens and labeling)
  Publisher: U.S. Food and Drug Administration | Date: Living page (updated 2026) | Reading time: about 10 min
  URL: https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-food-labeling-and-critical-foods/food-allergies
  Why read: Hospitality and food track: the nine major food allergens and labeling basics. Allergen statements are checked by the kitchen lead, never trusted from a model.

• Powered Industrial Trucks (Forklifts): Overview
  Publisher: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) | Date: Living page | Reading time: about 8 min
  URL: https://www.osha.gov/powered-industrial-trucks
  Why read: Logistics track: forklift (powered industrial truck) hazards, useful when checking an AI-drafted dock-safety SOP.

Session 4: Your use case

Required

• Navigating the Jagged Technological Frontier (Dell'Acqua et al.), HBS Working Paper 24-013
  Publisher: Harvard Business School | Date: September 2023 | Reading time: about 20 min
  URL: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=64700
  Why read: The 'jagged frontier' study: AI helps a lot on some tasks and hurts on others. Use it to pick a task your brief can measure honestly.

Optional

• Generative AI at Work (Brynjolfsson, Li, and Raymond), NBER Working Paper 31161
  Publisher: National Bureau of Economic Research | Date: April 2023 (revised) | Reading time: about 20 min
  URL: https://www.nber.org/papers/w31161
  Why read: A field study of AI assistance in customer support, with measured productivity effects. A model for how to state a measurable benefit.

• 2025: The Year the Frontier Firm Is Born (Work Trend Index)
  Publisher: Microsoft WorkLab | Date: April 2025 | Reading time: about 15 min
  URL: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/2025-the-year-the-frontier-firm-is-born
  Why read: Microsoft's 2025 Work Trend Index. Context for how managers are thinking about AI and capacity.

Link verification

Links verified by fetch or search as of Oct 2026. Links that could not be confirmed were dropped and are not listed. The instructor re-checks links before each cohort.

Dropped during verification (not listed above):

• FTC business blog post "Keep your AI claims in check" (returned 404 during verification)
• FTC press release announcing "Operation AI Comply" (September 2024) (returned 404 during verification)