Insurers are moving beyond just trying out artificial intelligence (AI) and focusing on making it a real part of their business. This shift was clear during Insurtech Insights Europe 2026 in London, where tech leaders from the insurance world shared their thoughts on where AI is working well and where it still has room to improve.
Pravina Ladva, the group chief digital and technology officer at Swiss Re, pointed to claims and underwriting as areas where AI is already making a big difference. In commercial insurance alone, Swiss Re handles over 40,000 claims a year. AI helps speed up claims processing, catch fraud, and pay out faster—a critical moment for customers. She also highlighted how AI is shortening the time it takes for clients to get underwriting decisions from hours or days to just minutes.
Dr. Fabian Winter, chief data and AI officer at Munich Re, added that AI’s value often comes from many small improvements rather than one big breakthrough. He mentioned underwriting and using unstructured data as key areas where AI is adding value.
Another perspective came from Zuanella, who noted that most meaningful gains in the industry so far have been behind the scenes. Internal improvements like streamlining processes and boosting employee productivity have been where companies see the biggest wins, even if customers don’t always notice.
Many insurers have spent years testing AI, but turning pilot projects into company-wide tools is still a big challenge. Ladva stressed the importance of pilots for learning but said it’s time to focus on scaling. For her, scaling AI means making it part of core processes that drive the business forward, not just increasing the number of pilots or AI projects.
Winter agreed that piloting will continue but said improving and testing AI quality is essential to ensure it truly creates business value. Meanwhile, Zuanella warned that simply running more pilots isn’t enough. Real progress requires commitment, leadership, and a willingness to take risks.
Beyond the technology itself, the leaders highlighted that good data and company culture make a big difference in AI success. Swiss Re invested heavily in data quality and accessibility over the past eight years, laying a foundation for today’s AI progress. Munich Re has focused on training and building teams where actuaries and data scientists work together smoothly.
Legacy systems remain a challenge because much data sits in older systems not built for AI, but both Ladva and Winter said this hurdle can be managed. Ladva emphasized that having outdated systems isn’t an excuse for not moving forward. She also pointed out that model governance—making sure AI behaves as expected and building trust—is critical. In insurance, trust is everything, and losing it would be a disaster.
The message from the event was clear: Insurers are ready to stop experimenting and start using AI to make real, measurable improvements in their businesses. But to do that, they need to focus on data, culture, and strong leadership—not just technology.