The InsureTech Connect (ITC) London 2026 event, held January 26-27 at The Brewery, brought together over 650 senior executives, innovators, investors, and technology providers from the global insurance ecosystem. Focused on the London Market and UK insurance landscape, the invite-only conference emphasized that artificial intelligence has shifted from an optional enhancement to a critical driver of survival and growth.
Industry leaders stressed that rapid AI adoption is widening the gap between agile players and traditional firms. Companies slow to industrialize testing and deployment risk permanent competitive setbacks, as AI matures faster than most internal structures can adapt. The core takeaway: success hinges on fostering a culture of ongoing experimentation integrated into daily operations, rather than isolating it in isolated proof-of-concepts.
Key discussions highlighted the urgent need to overhaul outdated intake processes — often still reliant on unstructured formats like PDFs, emails, and scanned documents — which burden teams with manual extraction and delay critical decisions. Forward-looking solutions prioritize intelligent data ingestion, automated structuring of unstructured inputs, and seamless integration into existing workflows. These tools boost straight-through processing rates, freeing underwriters to concentrate on complex risk assessment, portfolio optimization, and client relationships rather than administrative tasks.
Exhibitors showcased targeted technologies addressing persistent pain points:
Advanced document intelligence and upstream ingestion platforms for converting chaotic submissions into actionable, structured data.
Workflow automation systems embedding AI outputs directly into core underwriting and claims environments.
Digital placement and trading platforms speeding up capacity confirmation, negotiations, and risk binding.
Built-in governance frameworks ensuring model auditability, bias detection, risk management, and regulatory reporting.
Specialized analytics for high-growth areas like cyber threats, supply-chain vulnerabilities, and climate-related perils.
A recurring theme was the evolution toward “digital follow-underwriting,” enabling near-instant verification, compliance screening, and placement in specialty commercial, cyber, and supply-chain segments. This shift promises greater market liquidity and efficiency but demands robust audit trails, consistent data standards, and secure access protocols to maintain trust.
Panels reframed oversight challenges — including bias, explainability, and regulatory adherence — as integral to solution architecture rather than obstacles. Human-led processes already exhibit variability; well-designed AI, supported by disciplined data practices, continuous monitoring, diverse validation teams, and clear accountability for outputs, can reduce inconsistencies and elevate decision quality. In the U.S., the NAIC’s Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (H) Working Group continues advancing frameworks, including piloting an AI Systems Evaluation Tool in 2026 to guide state-level oversight.
Practical implementation dominated conversations, with many organizations pursuing hybrid models: combining in-house domain knowledge with external vendors for data engineering, integration, model tuning, validation, and organizational change support. Vendors demonstrated plug-and-play compatibility with legacy cores, prioritizing quick value delivery through enhanced data flows and decision intelligence.
Ultimately, ITC London 2026 underscored that thriving in the AI era requires more than adopting tools — it demands strategic alignment of technology, talent, partnerships, and governance. Insurers mastering this balance will unlock higher throughput, minimize leakage, improve profitability, and deliver superior experiences across the value chain. For those hesitant, the message was unambiguous: innovation through AI is no longer a choice; it’s a fundamental requirement for long-term relevance in a fast-evolving market.