Consumer Support for AI in P&C Insurance Nearly Doubles in a Year
Support for artificial intelligence in property and casualty insurance jumped to 39% in 2026, up from 20% the previous year, according to a survey by Insurity, a cloud software provider for insurers. The shift reflects growing familiarity with AI tools among the general population-84% of Americans now use AI at least occasionally.
Resistance to AI-using insurers also softened. Last year, 44% of consumers said they were less likely to buy from an insurer that publicly used AI. That figure fell to 36% in 2026.
Where consumers draw the line
The survey reveals a sharp distinction between how consumers view AI in support roles versus decision-making roles. Comfort is relatively high when AI handles routine tasks: 46% would let AI generate a quote, 39% are comfortable with AI tracking claim status, and 38% would use it to update personal information.
That comfort evaporates when AI moves to autonomous decisions. Only 22% would accept AI filing a claim on their behalf, and just 16% would allow AI to cancel or renew a policy without human involvement. Nearly half of respondents express distrust when AI makes decisions about claims approvals, fraud detection, or policy adjustments.
One-third of consumers trust AI-driven insurance decisions. Another 26% say they need more information before forming an opinion.
Deployment matters more than adoption
The gap between support and resistance points to a core concern: how insurers use AI, not whether they use it. Jatin Atre, president at Insurity, said the industry cannot treat AI as a marketing tool. "If AI is deployed simply to cut costs or automate decisions without explanation, trust will erode," he said. "If it is deployed to make underwriting smarter, claims faster, and interactions clearer, with real oversight behind it, trust grows."
For customer support professionals, this distinction carries practical weight. AI for Customer Support tools work best when they augment human judgment rather than replace it. Transparency about how AI reaches conclusions-and clear pathways for human review-builds the kind of trust the survey data reflects.
The survey included more than 1,000 randomly selected U.S. adults and was conducted online in February 2026. Participants answered 18 questions about AI in insurance, ranging from multiple-choice to scale-based responses.
For those working in insurance operations, understanding these consumer preferences is essential. AI for Insurance applications in claims processing, underwriting, and policy management will succeed or fail based on how transparently they're implemented and how clearly they preserve human oversight.
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