Across industries, the adoption and use of AI has the potential to deliver efficiencies and streamlined data flows that are essential for speed and scale. Yet actuarial and data and AI consultants in the US who specialise in partnering with firms to find mid-senior talent say that human judgment remains critical given the ongoing need for accountability, governance and trust.
How are companies using AI and what are the opportunities and caveats? See what experienced consultants say:
Melanie Whittaker, Principal Consultant, Philadelphia – Data & AI:
“Insurance runs on judgment, whether there is an underwriter pricing risk, a claims adjuster making a call, or an actuary signing off on reserves. AI has been helping on the front end of that work (intake, summarization, and triage), but the trust question is real. Teams want to know how a model reached its answer, who is accountable for it, and whether the underlying data is clean. Regulators are also paying close attention to how carriers use AI, which keeps governance high on the agenda.
I do see a shift in where human judgment sits. People are spending less time producing the first draft and spending more time challenging and validating what the model produced. This makes professionals more valuable because someone has to know when the output is wrong.
In terms of opportunities on the candidate side, we are seeing an increase in roles around data foundations, governance, and model validation. Candidates who can combine technical depth with insurance knowledge have more options than before. AI tools are speeding up sourcing and screening, widening the pool of people a team can consider, but that is also creating very real hiring frustrations. Candidates receive automated rejections with zero feedback. They feel as though they are writing to a filter rather than a person. On the client side, application volume is up, but resumes are harder to trust. It's tough to tell who has hands-on production experience vs who has listed a tool they touched once. Verification is probably the hardest part of hiring and is where a good recruitment partner earns their place.”
Paula Coughlan, Principal Consultant, New York – Actuarial:
“I think AI is making human judgment more important, not less. It can help actuaries work with more data and automate some of the more routine work, but you still need someone who can question the output, understand the assumptions, and explain it to the business. From a hiring perspective, clients are increasingly looking for people who can combine strong technical skills with good communication and commercial judgment. For candidates, AI is a great way to differentiate themselves, but I think there’s still a lot of value in being able to show that you can think independently rather than just relying on the technology.”
Shakara Rose, Senior Principal, New York – Data & AI:
“From a recruitment perspective, I’m seeing clients become much more interested in people who understand both sides of that conversation. It’s not just about hiring someone who knows AI or machine learning, they want people who understand the insurance problem, can work with data and engineering teams, and appreciate the importance of governance, security and compliance.
For candidates, I think there’s also more scrutiny around what companies actually mean when they say they’re “doing AI.” Candidates are asking much better questions now. Is it genuinely being put into production? Is there a proper AI strategy behind it? Or is it still largely experimentation?
The opportunity is really around finding people who can take AI from an interesting idea and turn it into something that actually works within an insurance business.”
Callum Stainer, Principal Consultant, Philadelphia – Data & AI:
“Clients are relying more heavily on verified deal history and real Databricks or Snowflake relationships to judge candidates, since AI makes it easy to polish a resume or rehearse an interview. The main frustration is a pace mismatch: clients want to move fast in this market but also want deeper verification, which puts more pressure on recruiters and talent teams to filter effectively.”
Ledina Domi, Consultant, New York – Data & AI:
“AI is definitely speeding things up in insurance, but I'm finding clients care more about human judgment now, not less. They want people who are comfortable using AI but can still tell when something doesn't look right. From candidates, the main frustration I hear is applying through automated systems and never hearing back. From clients, it's getting loads of applications that all look the same. That's where having real conversations with people still makes a big difference.”
Dylan Hayes, Principal Consultant, New York – Underwriting:
“AI is helping underwriters move faster and make quicker decisions, but I think trust still comes down to human judgment, especially when you’re making a call on an unusual risk or a tough account. From a hiring standpoint, clients want people who can use AI without blindly relying on it, while candidates are looking for companies that use it to improve the job rather than replace underwriting judgment. The frustration is figuring out where AI actually adds value versus creating another layer of systems and processes.”
