AI in Insurance – What’s Working Now? Laying the Groundwork for Scalable Innovation
Introduction
The rise of generative AI (GenAI) has sparked a global rethink across industries—but in insurance, where trust, compliance, and judgment reign supreme, pragmatic adoption is key. For insurers eager to embrace AI while avoiding hype traps, the present moment is about one thing: building safe, scalable, and human-centric applications of AI. In this blog, we explore what insurers can and should be doing with AI right now, based on insights from Brandon Nuttall, Chief Digital and AI Officer at Xceedance.
The “Now” of AI Adoption: Practical, Not Theoretical
While GenAI and large language models have accelerated interest, leading insurers are focusing on human-in-the-loop AI—applications that support, not replace, underwriters, claims adjusters, and customer service professionals.
Key focus areas include:
- Knowledge bots for smarter decisions: AI chatbots are being used to surface organizational intelligence from historical underwriting or claims data, enabling frontline staff to make better-informed decisions.
- Video and audio analytics: Forward-thinking insurers are using AI to monitor publicly shared content (like social media videos) to flag risky behavior—such as illegal street racing—and use that intelligence in underwriting.
- Automated communications: AI-assisted drafting of emails, customer responses, and internal documentation is helping professionals increase output while maintaining consistency and tone.
These aren’t pilot programs. These are production-level tools being deployed by insurers today.
Why These Use Cases Work
The connective tissue between these use cases? They’re low-risk, high-value implementations that embed AI into existing human workflows. As Nuttul explains, “If you’re doing a task without AI today, chances are you’ll be doing it tomorrow with AI support—but still as the primary decision-maker.”
Conclusion
The insurance industry’s “AI now” isn’t about moonshots. It’s about building the right muscle memory—safely integrating AI into the organization, proving ROI in contained environments, and preparing teams for what’s next. The insurers who get this phase right will be far better positioned to evolve when the tech—and the expectations—mature.
