AI and machine learning have been playing a big role in transforming the insurance sector. Messrs Shailesh Dhuri, Pravas Sahoo and Naimuddin Shaikh from Decimal Point Analytics explore how cutting-edge technologies are reshaping underwriting, claims processing, risk assessment, and fraud detection.
Imagine this – your coat is stolen on a cold Sunday night. After days of hoping it might turn up, you finally decide to file an insurance claim. You whip out your mobile phone and open your insurance app. You record a short video explaining what happened, hit ‘Submit’, and wait – but not for long. In less time than it takes to read this sentence – just two seconds – the claim is reviewed by an AI claims bot, cross-referenced against your policy, screened for fraud using multiple algorithms, approved, and the payment is remitted to your bank. This isn’t science fiction – it’s happening today, showcasing the revolutionary speed and efficiency AI is bringing to a traditionally bulky process. It’s an illustration of how profoundly technology is reshaping expectations and operations within the insurance world.
The great transformation: insurance meets intelligence
The fairly traditional insurance industry is undergoing a revolution powered by AI and machine learning. The old world of manual processes is yielding to algorithms that can make complex decisions in milliseconds. Standard policies are being replaced by hyper-personalised coverage adjusted in real-time. AI is now a competitive necessity, fundamentally altering risk assessment, claims processing, fraud combat, and customer connection. These transformative gains in efficiency and accuracy force industry players to adapt.
Underwriting reimagined: from weeks to minutes
The traditional underwriting approach meant answering endless questions, waiting for medical exams, and then hoping for a reasonable premium. This process, which was meticulous but painfully slow and often inconsistent, is being thoroughly reimagined through AI.
What makes this transformation possible is AI’s remarkable ability to process and analyse information at a scale and speed no human team could match. Where underwriters once had to rely primarily on historical data and broad demographic categories, AI systems now weave together incredibly diverse information sources—your structured application data, unstructured medical reports, real-time information from connected devices, satellite imagery of your property, and even relevant external data.
The result is risk assessment that’s not just faster but fundamentally more precise. Machine learning models uncover subtle patterns and correlations that traditional statistical methods might miss entirely. Your premium isn’t based on broad demographics such as “male, age –” anymore – it’s based on you, your specific behaviours and unique risk profile.
What once took days or weeks now happens in minutes or even seconds. More importantly, the entire approach shifts from standardised to personalised, with dynamic pricing models that can adjust based on changing risk factors and individual behaviour patterns.
AI isn’t making human underwriters obsolete – it’s elevating their role. With AI handling the data-heavy lifting and routine cases, these professionals are free to focus on complex scenarios, strategic decisions, and the human relationships that remain at the heart of the business.
Processing claims: the new speed of trust
For customers, the claims process has always been the “moment of truth” – the point where insurance promises are either kept or broken. Traditionally, this critical touchpoint has been plagued by friction: paperwork, delays, and opacity that left customers frustrated and insurers bearing high operational costs. AI is changing all that, making claims processing faster, smoother, and more transparent than ever before.
The transformation spans the entire claims journey. Mobile apps and conversational AI now enable instant claim submission anytime, anywhere. Smart document processing extracts and validates information from diverse sources – claim forms, police reports, medical records, invoices – eliminating manual data entry and its inevitable errors. AI algorithms instantly triage incoming claims, routing simple ones for automatic processing while directing complex cases to specialists with the right expertise.
Perhaps the most visible breakthrough comes from computer vision technology. AI systems can analyse photos or videos of damage – whether to vehicles, property, or other insured items – to identify the type and extent of damage, estimate repair costs, and sometimes even determine liability, all without time-consuming physical inspections. For straightforward claims, this can mean assessment, approval, and payment initiation in minutes rather than days or weeks.
Throughout this streamlined process, AI-powered chatbots provide real-time updates and answers to policyholder questions, creating unprecedented transparency and engagement. The impact on customer experience is profound – a fast, fair, and transparent claims process directly translates to higher satisfaction, trust, and loyalty.
Industry experts project that by 2030, over half of all claims activities could be automated, freeing human handlers to focus on where they add the most value: empathy-driven interaction and complex problem-solving for the claims that truly need a human touch.
From reaction to prevention: risk management reimagined
AI shifts insurance from “detect and repair” to “predict and prevent” by analysing diverse, real-time data streams (telematics, smart sensors, wearables, weather data). This allows accurate forecasting of risks like accidents, health issues, or property damage. Continuous risk monitoring via IoT devices identifies hazards like leaks or dangerous driving in real-time, triggering alerts or preventative actions. While offering proactive protection, this continuous monitoring raises significant questions about user data privacy and how this information is used.
Insurers become risk management partners, helping customers avoid losses, which opens new service opportunities. AI also enhances modelling for complex risks like catastrophes and cyber threats.
The digital watchdog: AI’s role in fraud detection
Insurance fraud is a costly challenge. AI acts as a digital watchdog, drastically improving detection. AI systems sift through vast datasets to spot anomalies indicating fraud, continuously learning and adapting to new tactics more effectively than static rules. The focus includes uncovering organised fraud networks using network analysis techniques. Combining multiple AI methods creates multi-layered protection. As these systems become more powerful, ensuring they operate without bias and respect privacy is paramount to avoid unfairly flagging legitimate claims.
The future is here: AI’s enduring impact
The integration of AI in insurance is accelerating, promising even deeper transformations in the years ahead. Analysts forecast that the AI insurance market could approach $80 billion by 2032, contributing significantly to the potential $1.1 trillion in annual value AI could create for the industry by 2030.
This growth will fuel further gains in operational efficiency as automation handles more routine tasks across the value chain. Productivity improvements of 15–20% from generative AI alone are anticipated, with some projecting overall underwriting productivity gains of 30–40%. This translates directly into cost optimisation, with potential operational cost reductions of up to 40%, further enhanced by reduced fraud losses.
Embracing the AI imperative
AI is fundamentally reshaping insurance. It offers transformative potential across the value chain. Harnessing this requires strategic vision, investment in data infrastructure, ethical considerations (including fairness and bias mitigation), and reskilling. Navigating data privacy, cybersecurity and regulations is crucial.
The future of insurance is intelligent – insurers must embrace AI strategically to build more efficient, customer-centric and resilient businesses. The time for action is now.
