Life and Health (L&H) insurers are behind property-and-casualty carriers in AI underwriting adoption - 45% versus 60% - but every L&H leader and underwriter using the technology says it makes them faster and better, according to new research from Sixfold Research. The findings connect AI strategy directly to hiring and retention, with 86% of underwriters saying they weigh a firm's AI approach when evaluating new jobs.
The results stand out because adoption is still catching up. Ninety percent of leaders said AI improves decision quality, and the unanimous reports of faster, better work suggest carriers that clear the implementation hurdles will close the gap with P&C quickly.
What's slowing adoption
Sixfold found a disconnect between leadership and frontline views of the problem. Seventy-two percent of executives blame legacy systems and data quality, while 43% of underwriters say the main issue is poorly integrated technology that doesn't fit their daily workflows. That mismatch is where automation projects stall and where return on investment gets lost.
For underwriting teams, the lesson is that implementation detail matters as much as the model. AI for Insurance training covers how these tools apply to claims processing, risk assessment, and policy automation.
AI strategy and the talent problem
The workforce numbers give executives a concrete reason to move. The findings tie AI strategy directly to staff stability:
- 86% of underwriters consider a firm's AI strategy when evaluating new job opportunities.
- 70% of staff are more likely to stay at an organization with a strong AI approach.
- 63% of leaders worry about losing skilled underwriters to tech-forward competitors.
The concern is not theoretical. Underwriters increasingly treat modern digital tools as essential to their careers, which makes a company's AI roadmap part of its employment brand. The research frames AI planning as a leadership decision with direct workforce consequences, and that decision space is the focus of AI for Executives & Strategy training.
Why this matters for insurance professionals
AI capability is becoming part of job security and career movement. Underwriters who can work with these tools have an edge in a job market where 86% of their peers already factor AI strategy into employer choice. Managers should read the 70% retention figure as a signal: staff notice when a company invests in good technology, and the underwriters most in demand have options.
If the unanimous results hold as more carriers adopt, the adoption gap with P&C should narrow. The question is which carriers close it first.
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