Over the last couple of months, we’ve explored the transformative potential of AI agents in underwriting workflows. We’ve looked at what an AI agent is and how agentic workflows can harmonise agents for a beautiful underwriting journey. Now, let’s address the big question: how can we seamlessly integrate human expertise with these AI agents to unlock maximum value for your insurance business?
Building trust in AI
Introducing AI into underwriting workflows requires a measured, well-thought-out and iterative approach, beginning with targeted use cases where results are tangible and immediate. For instance, document processing agents can extract critical information from submissions, eliminating manual data entry. These quick wins build trust as teams witness firsthand the efficiency gains possible with the support of their personal underwriting agents. We’re big advocates of making meaningful yet incremental changes, picking the right areas to innovate in, rather than trying to tackle a full-scale business overhaul. Our recent Underwriting Maturity Framework takes you through this process in more detail, breaking down underwriting evolution into stages.
Communication is also key. The business must ensure clear, transparent communication to all teams, stressing the reasons behind the implementation of these agents and how they will benefit the underwriters themselves, not just the bottom line. This will help underwriters see that they aren’t in the process of being replaced; these changes are there to support and enrich their day-to-day lives.
Keeping you in the loop
AI isn’t here to replace underwriters; instead, it elevates their role. Human judgment, experience, intuition, and emotional intelligence remain irreplaceable skills in the art of underwriting. AI agents can be seen as collaborators rather than competitors, tools that will enrich human capabilities rather than replace them. Engaging underwriters early in the development process is essential for bringing them along on the transformation journey. Their insights can shape better tools, and their involvement fosters ownership and adoption.
In a hybrid setup, where underwriters sit and work alongside AI agents, underwriters act as conductors, orchestrating when and how these agents contribute to decision-making. By automating repetitive tasks like data entry and manual lookups, underwriters have more time to focus on what they do best: making nuanced decisions, fostering client relationships, and tackling complex risks creatively.
Hybrid theory in practice
Imagine an underwriting team where routine tasks are automated seamlessly. Policy data is extracted, enriched with third-party insights, risk-scored, and presented in an intuitive dashboard, all before a human even reviews it. Underwriters start their day with prioritised submissions, focusing their expertise on complex risks and negotiations. They interact with AI agents conversationally, mimicking how they’d naturally interact with coworkers and peers, asking for summaries or comparisons and enabling faster, data-driven decisions.
The future of underwriting lies in collaboration between humans and AI. By leveraging each other’s strengths, we create an environment that drives innovation and competitive advantage.
How can you begin to build your hybrid team? We can help. Contact us to find out how you can take small steps and drive big results.
By Matt McGrillis, co-founder and Chief Product Officer, Send