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AI in Insurance Underwriting: How to Get There from Here

Publisher IDC
Published Jan 22, 2026
Length 14 Pages
SKU # IDC20786995

Description

This IDC Perspective describes the role of AI in insurance underwriting. AI-enabled underwriting platforms are compressing traditionally manual, multiweek processes such as statement-of-values ingestion and annual portfolio reviews into workflows measured in days. Technology providers and partners are facilitating these processes through automating document ingestion and conducting data normalization, validation, and workflow orchestration across fragmented systems. Such capabilities shift human effort away from absorbing, comprehending, and making sense of data toward exercising their risk judgment and focusing on handling exceptions. Done right, human-in-the-loop controls, approval checkpoints, and auditability can ensure and strengthen underwriting and maintain regulatory compliance. The goal is not autonomy or automation for its own sake, but rather, faster and more consistent underwriting at scale."What's materially changing underwriting isn't just AI making decisions instead of people — rather, that AI is assuming and carrying out the invisible, behind-the-scenes work that it takes to arrive at decisions. By automating data ingestion, data normalization, and triaging risk, insurers can recoup weeks of underwriting capacity and simultaneously hold controls in their hands. The two together can dramatically alter how fast risk moves through the insurer organization." — Inci Kaya, research manager, Worldwide Insurance Digital Strategies, IDC

Table of Contents

14 Pages

Executive Snapshot

Situation Overview

Why underwriting needs stronger decision support now

Opportunities created by AI and agentic approaches

Persistent challenges limiting impact

Requirements for effective AI-enabled underwriting

How to get there from here

Focus on underwriting outcomes, not AI sophistication

Design for human-led, AI-augmented decision-making

Evaluate vendors by capability category, not claims

Parameters around AI in underwriting

Core insurance and underwriting platforms

AI, analytics, and underwriting decision support

Document intelligence and data ingestion

Life insurance and annuities underwriting specialists

Services-led underwriting transformation and operations

Risk, safety, and portfolio management platforms

Measuring success (beyond cost reduction)

Advice for the Technology Buyer

Learn More

Related Research

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