Business Value

Insurers are shifting AI investments from ambition to tangible value, focusing on underwriting and capital allocation. This strategic pivot is marked by increasing AI specialist headcount, senior AI leadership appointments, and the rise of agentic AI systems. Companies are now publicly sharing ROI data, with leaders like Zurich demonstrating success through unified AI platforms. This transparency and focus on quantifiable results, particularly in risk selection, are driving industry-wide adoption and demonstrating AI’s evolution into an operating system for insurers.

Global AI investment is surging, with companies spending an average of $186 million annually. However, only 11% have successfully scaled AI agents for enterprise-wide value. While 64% report meaningful results, these are often incremental gains, not significant operational efficiencies. “AI leaders” who reimagine processes and integrate governance report substantially higher business value. Asia-Pacific leads in spending and scaling, while regional differences in trust and collaboration models require tailored global deployment strategies.

Cisco’s new global study reveals IT leaders are modernizing their networks to support AI. 97% recognize network modernization as crucial for AI, IoT, and cloud technologies. The study highlights the need for robust, resilient networks to mitigate outages, which cost businesses $160 billion annually. Upgrading infrastructure is expected to drive revenue, reduce costs, and improve customer experiences, backed by C-suite support.