AI reshapes talent development at AXA XL
As artificial intelligence transforms insurance operations, routine underwriting, claims, and servicing tasks are increasingly automated. Kathleen Ziegler (pictured), chief operating officer at AXA XL, Americas, told Insurance Business this shift presents both opportunity and challenge.
“AI is taking over the administrative elements of underwriting such as submission data entry - loss run ingestion, motor vehicle report (MVR) summaries, statement of values (SOV) intake,” Ziegler explained. “This is valuable because it frees people to focus on the insights those documents provide. But it also changes the training ground. Historically, administrative work was how entry-level underwriters learned the fundamentals. Now we have to rethink how we develop talent.”
Ziegler likens the challenge to shifts in other industries. “I recently listened to a podcast on entertainment, where AI is eliminating entry-level roles for background actors. People are asking, ‘Am I supposed to arrive fully prepared for lead roles?’ We face a similar question: how do we ensure a competent, trained pipeline for underwriting when the foundational tasks are automated?” she said.
The COO highlights that the next generation of talent must combine traditional insurance knowledge with technological savvy. “Underwriters and underwriting assistants will need to understand the rules behind the AI tools they use. They need to be able to interpret outputs from agentic AI, explain results, and make judgment calls that the technology cannot.”
New roles are emerging to complement AI rather than compete with it. Ziegler cites the need for individuals who know how to explain and teach the technology and its outputs in plain terms; with the speed at which AI is developing, everyone is now a student, even leaders. With agentic AI, there is also a growing need for auditors. “While the technology serves up polished answers quickly, it’s not always right,” she said. “Auditors and reviewers of the outputs will become even more prominent, as we look to avoid bias and inaccuracies. This is especially critical in a regulated environment like insurance.”
AI is not simply displacing roles; it is reshaping expectations and accelerating proficiency. “The speed at which underwriters are expected to generate insights is increasing,” Ziegler noted. “Tasks that were previously administrative are now automated, and even fundamental analytics are evolving. Underwriting assistants and underwriters will not only be expected to identify correlations, anomalies, and make judgment calls earlier in the process, but also earlier their careers.”
With increased use of technology to improve efficiency, she also sees potential changes in business focus. “Companies may shift the balance between renewals and new business, increasing growth expectations. AI reduces the administrative burden of renewals, which could free up underwriters to pursue more new business opportunities.”
To equip staff for this new reality, AXA XL implemented mandatory training on GenAI for all employees. In operations, employees are encouraged to experiment with tools, like SecureGPT and Copilot. “We showcase use cases, like an underwriting assistant who recently used AI to summarize MVRs, and we track adoption and efficiency gains across teams,” Ziegler said. “The best way to ensure adoption is to make it fun and solve real problems. While the expectation to use AI is there, experimentation helps build familiarity and confidence with the technology.”
Ziegler emphasizes that organizational learning must be structured. “It’s not enough to give people tools; you need routines, guidance, and measurement,” she said. “We look at time savings and impact across populations to quantify how a single use case can ripple through operations.”
While AI adoption continues to accelerate, Ziegler stresses that fundamentals remain critical. “We still need people who understand insurance basics: form requirements, state-by-state regulations, other compliance-related concerns,” she said. “That knowledge underpins the questions you ask AI and ensures the answers are meaningful. The technology is a powerful assistant, but it cannot replace judgment, oversight, or the human ability to connect the dots.”
In fact, AXA XL continues to invest in training underwriting assistants to become underwriters through its structured Underwriting Pathways program, while recruiting and the program parameters have evolved to incorporate new skillsets required to support a more AI-driven environment.
Successful adoption is a cultural as well as technical challenge. “Everyone - from entry-level staff to senior leaders - must embrace a learning mindset,” Ziegler stated. “AI is here to stay, and the firms that succeed will be those that develop talent to work alongside it, augmenting human insight rather than replacing it.”
