2026 Executive Outlook | Rob Rasberry, NFP Canada

If this was the year when the property and casualty insurance industry embraced artificial intelligence (AI), 2026 will be the year it transforms because of it.

It isn’t just about using AI anymore; it’s about becoming AI-native. That’s the one thing that will fundamentally change our industry in the coming year.

When people talk about AI, they often imagine a future in which machines make all the decisions. But the reality is more nuanced and much more exciting.

AI is accelerating how we assess and price risk to deliver faster quotes, sharper insights, and operational efficiencies. But technology alone isn’t the differentiator. The real advantage lies in how brokers harness these tools to deliver judgment-driven, client-first solutions.

Underwriting has always been a balance of data and experience. Today, AI is streamlining risk assessment, automating repetitive tasks and improving pricing accuracy. Quotes that once took days can now arrive in hours.

Such speed and precision raise new questions. How do businesses interpret these insights? How do we ensure decisions reflect real-world context? That’s where brokers come in.

AI can surface data and suggest actions, but it can’t replace judgment. Brokers are interpreters of complexity. We translate technical insights into practical strategies, understand local market nuances and know when a model’s output needs a second look.

As risk assessment becomes more automated, human judgment becomes more essential. Brokers who combine technology with expertise will become increasingly indispensable.

In 2026, the question for businesses won’t be if their broker uses AI, it’ll be how. How is AI improving accuracy and speed? How is it complementing — and not replacing — human judgment?