Yes we still have some Predictions articles and commentary for 2026. Here’s the word from Richard Farrell, CIO at Netcall, on Co-Pilots, AI and more.
AI continued to dominate the tech conversation in 2025, but in 2026, insurance CIOs are shifting gears.
After a year of rapid adoption and high expectations surrounding artificial intelligence, 2026 is shaping up to be the year CIOs apply a more strategic lens. Not to slow progress, but to steer it in a smarter direction.
In 2025, we saw the rise of AI copilots across almost every platform imaginable. From browsers and CRMs to productivity tools and helpdesks, the tech world raced to embrace assistance-on-demand. But while vendors marketed “magic,” CIOs were left with the clean-up. Multiple pilots. Multiple platforms. Multiple promises. Few results.
Now the honeymoon period is over. It’s time to assess what worked, what didn’t, and what truly matters. Process mapping will become an essential starting point: identifying pain points, inefficiencies, and areas for AI and automation that directly link to measurable outcomes. And that shift comes with a new set of priorities. Here are five that will define AI in insurance for 2026.
Process intelligence will replace fragmented copilots
The early promise of AI copilots was appealing: save time, reduce manual work, and supercharge productivity. But reality has been far more grounded. Independent evaluations, including a detailed UK Department for Business and Trade trial, found minimal measurable productivity improvements. Despite glowing self-reports, actual gains were either negligible or non-existent. Why? Because these tools were designed for individual users, not organisations. They sat on top of workflows, rather than improving them. In too many cases, the top use case was summarising meeting notes – useful, but hardly transformative.
In 2026, CIOs will shift focus from point solutions to end-to-end platforms. The goal will be clear: use AI to optimise business processes. This pivot from individual utility to organisational efficiency will be the biggest AI reset of the year.
Consolidation will beat complexity
Insurers often operate with a patchwork of systems – sprawling tech estates and overlapping legacy solutions, often held together by fragile integrations. That complexity is now a drag on innovation and customer agility.
In 2026, there will be a marked shift towards simplification – rationalising technology stacks and working with partners who can demonstrate true interoperability. CIOs will favour vendors who collaborate rather than compete, and who can clearly show how their solutions integrate within the broader ecosystem. Less will be more, especially when it comes to driving efficiency and speed.
This change is as much about procurement strategy as it is about technology. Insurance leaders will look to platform-based approaches that offer the flexibility to build applications tailored to real-world processes. The ability to generate apps directly from mapped processes – refining and improving iteratively – will empower digital teams to deliver faster and smarter. It means building long-term partnerships that are based on shared goals and business value, not short-term sprints or siloed innovation.
Governance will take centre stage
In regulated industries like insurance, AI governance isn’t optional – it’s essential. In 2026, CIOs must build guardrails into every intelligent system. This means moving away from retrofitting rules after the fact, and instead embedding governance by design – from the very beginning of deployment. That includes audit trails, escalation rules, and privacy protocols, all built into the user journey through intuitive, adaptable frameworks. Proper escalation and human-in-the-loop models will be essential, alongside data stewardship – knowing where data is stored, how it’s accessed, and ensuring privacy by design.
Governance isn’t a drag on progress; it’s the foundation of trust. Low-code platforms are emerging as powerful enablers in this shift. They don’t just speed up development – they allow CIOs to embed controls directly into the build process. This approach supports the democratisation of development, empowering teams to iterate, improve, and scale quickly, without compromising on oversight.
That means compliance can’t be tacked on later; it must be built in from the start. This accelerates delivery while reassuring regulators, customers, and internal teams alike. This shift will ensure that automation supports human judgement, not overrides it – building systems people trust, not just systems that work.
Prediction must be followed by action
Insurance thrives on prediction – whether it’s identifying high-risk policyholders or forecasting claims likelihood. But predictive power alone isn’t enough. The real value comes when that insight triggers action.
In 2026, CIOs will expect a sharper focus on closing the loop. Prediction engines must be paired with platforms that empower action. Whether that’s through workflow automation, triggered messaging, or intelligent routing – AI should make insurers faster, not just smarter.
Value must be proven, not assumed
A dangerous trend emerged in 2025: building business cases on feelings. CIOs were pressured to prove AI success based on user satisfaction or time-saving estimates, often self-reported. The problem? These metrics are vague, inconsistent, and impossible to verify. In 2026, that won’t be good enough. CIOs will be expected to show clear cause and effect. If AI is being used, what has it replaced? What has it improved? What cost has it avoided?
We need to replace the tick-box mindset with a value lens. That means aligning AI initiatives to strategic metrics – reduced claims cycle times, lower loss adjustment expenses, improved retention, or increased speed to quote. Crucially, this demands a holistic approach. It’s not just about technology. CIOs must align people, process, and platform – starting with detailed process mapping to understand how work gets done, where inefficiencies lie, and how those insights translate into smarter applications. These maps become blueprints for building, offering a framework to generate applications that deliver measurable value.
The resolution: outcome-led leadership
In 2026, the role of the insurance CIO will continue to focus on clear priorities, governance, and impact. The best CIOs will ask the toughest questions. Are we solving real problems? Can we measure the benefit? Are we building something truly sustainable??
2026 is the year we move from experimentation to delivering for the business. The age of shiny objects is over. It’s time for substance. And that starts with us.
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