Predictions 2026: Let's Look Ahead To An Automated, AI Empowered Future

Originally published by Insurance Edge on December 19, 2025.

Insurance Edge surveyed technology leaders across the industry for their 2026 predictions, revealing a collective shift from AI pilots to production-scale implementations. Multiple experts emphasized that next year will bring automated pricing, renewals, and claims processing, though caution must balance excitement about emerging capabilities.

Several contributors warned against superficial AI deployments. "LLM Wrappers on Bad Data are Lipstick on a Pig, " said Scot Barton, Chief Product Officer at Carpe Data, who noted the rise of "vibe-coding" in 2025 made systems easier to implement with sleek interfaces but often delivered little substance. Barton predicted insurers will demand technology vendors prove their value with differentiated insights and strong data foundations rather than generic chatbots and glossy user interfaces.

Pegasystems projected that agentic AI will handle 15 percent of day-to-day work decisions autonomously by 2028, with 2026 marking accelerated adoption in underwriting, claims, and fraud detection. However, experts stressed that legacy modernization and clean, integrated data remain critical prerequisites for AI success. Reinsurance technology provider Supercede anticipated cedent-centric collaboration will drive growth for challenger brokers, while Federato predicted the end of small-scale AI pilots that fail to deliver return on investment.

Digital Workforce observed public perception shifting from hype to acceptance as major institutions deployed generative AI to end customers. EiP founder Ross Sinclair forecast parametric insurance moving from niche to mainstream, with voice-led AI becoming commonplace in non-regulated customer interactions.

Read the full article at Insurance Edge.