For insurers, the key to success won’t just be adopting AI—it will be building a workforce that feels confident, capable, and inspired to use it. Companies that invest in people-first strategies for upskilling and attracting talent will not only keep pace but leap ahead.
Here are three powerful ways insurers can prepare their workforce for the generative AI era.
1.Build Trust Through Transparency
The buzz around AI often comes with fear. In fact, over half of insurance employees worry about burnout or losing their jobs to AI. But here’s the truth: AI is not replacing human judgment, creativity, or empathy—it’s enhancing them.
For example:
Only 5% of insurance sales tasks are expected to be fully automated. Nearly half will remain unchanged, and the rest will be augmented by AI.
Up to 40% of an underwriter’s time is spent on administrative tasks. They can concentrate on more important strategic choices by letting generative AI handle data analysis and form-filling.
For routine inquiries, customer support agents can rely on AI chatbots, freeing up more time for them to cultivate deep connections with customers.
Leaders may allay employees’ fears by being transparent and demonstrating to them the precise areas in which AI is valuable and where human expertise is still indispensable. Then, AI turns into a collaborator rather than a danger.
2.Quickly retrain and make learning ongoing
This is a shocking fact: only 4% of insurers are reskilling at scale, despite 92% of insurance workers saying they desire AI capabilities. That disparity represents a significant lost chance.
In order to close it, insurers must:
Provide learning paths that are directly related to the demands of future employment.
To make training adaptable and interesting, combine several forms, such as workshops, online courses, mentorship, and practical labs.
To guarantee that the content is state-of-the-art, collaborate with academic institutions, technology companies, and certification schemes.
Additionally, remember that rewards and recognition are human aspects of learning. Gamification tools (badges, points, leaderboards) and collaborative platforms like Viva Engage can keep curiosity alive and build a culture of continuous skill-building.
Forward-looking companies are already leading here. For example, Accenture’s LearnVantage platform gives employees everything from nano-degree programs to executive AI academies. The result: workers at all levels gain confidence in navigating the AI-driven future.
3.Rethink How You Attract and Retain Talent
The insurance industry faces another reality: young workers aren’t flocking to it. People aged 18–24 are the least likely to choose insurance as a career. At the same time, by 2030, the financial services sector could face a 10.7 million worker shortfall.
Insurers must redefine their Employee Value Proposition (EVP) in order to remain competitive. This entails: Stressing the insurance industry’s objective to aid people, protect businesses, and support communities.
presenting the sector as one that values innovation over tradition, particularly in the areas of data, security, and artificial intelligence.
collaborating with academic institutions, creating early career pipelines, and utilizing “hidden workers” who contribute important soft skills, such as caretakers and veterans.
Indeed, employ AI in the hiring process itself, from tailored job advertisements to expedited applicant processing. When implemented properly, AI can improve hiring efficiency, intelligence, and engagement.
Beyond Technology: A Change in Culture
It takes more than just tools to get ready for generative AI; it takes mentality. Leaders in insurance must:
Use data-driven platforms such as Skills to map future roles and skills.AI.
To maintain the appeal of remuneration and EVP, benchmark against competitors on a regular basis.
Establish a culture at work where AI and people coexist and develop.
Not only will insurers that embrace a people-first reinvention survive the generative AI era, but they will flourish in it as well, drawing in top talent and releasing unrealized potential for years to come.
Conclusion: Insurance is already changing as a result of generative AI.
However, machinery alone will not provide its true power. It will result from people and technology working together in harmony, with individuals feeling empowered, supported, and prepared to write the next chapter in insurance history.
