What global insurers are learning about AI and why it matters in Australia
Digital -
The question for insurers is no longer whether AI will play a role in the industry, it’s whether their people and culture are ready for it. That question was one of the focuses at the recent ITC Japan conference, an international insurance technology event sponsored by TAL’s parent company, Daiichi Life.
The session Beyond Language: Leading Cultural Change in AI-Driven Insurance brought together leaders from insurers and technology providers to discuss how AI adoption is playing out inside large organisations.
Workforce sentiment towards AI was described as mixed. Most workers see its potential, but many are still working out how it fits into their day-to-day roles. It's less about doubting the technology and more about navigating the change. That's a pattern that global insurers are seeing as AI moves from experimentation into daily operations, and it's no different in Australia.
The gap between adoption and impact
The Tech Council of Australia found that 84% of office workers are already using AI at work, and 93% believe it will augment their jobs rather than replace them,1 but the gap between adoption and impact remains wide. Nearly half of Australian tech leaders now say operational efficiency is the greatest opportunity for business in 2026, up from just over a third a year ago.2
During the ITC Japan session, the panellists discussed the idea of “falling in love with the problem, not the solution”. AI’s real value isn’t in answering old questions faster, but in helping organisations ask entirely different ones. Rather than “how do we make this process more efficient?”, the more productive question becomes “what problem should we be solving, and why are we solving it this way?”
That shift shaped the development of Chat CKB (Chat Claims Knowledge Base). The problem wasn't how consultants searched for policy and process information; it was that the time they spent searching was time they weren't spending with members. Since launching, Chat CKB has responded to more than 37,000 claims-related queries, saving an average of seven minutes per question, with 93% positive user feedback. It's since been scaled across HR and customer service teams.3 That was the broader point the panel kept returning to: what makes the difference is a willingness to redesign work, not just automate it.
We’ve taken a similar approach in underwriting, redesigning medical questions to move away from interrogation-style processes, using data to make decisions more efficient and evidence-based. Routine decisions are automated so underwriters can focus on complex cases where their experience and judgement add the most value.
In Australia, regulators and industry standards are raising the bar on claims handling and the member experience.4 That means growing expectations around transparency, timeliness and the quality of support members receive throughout the claims journey. Meeting that bar isn’t just about processing things faster; it requires funds and insurers to rethink how they support members at every step. In claims, our AI-powered post-call summarisation tool automatically transcribes and summarises claims-related calls in real time. Since launching, it has processed over 120,000 calls, freeing consultants to stay fully focused on supporting members during conversations rather than splitting their attention with notetaking.5
When AI is introduced thoughtfully, with people at the centre, it becomes a normal and trusted part of how insurance works. That's the direction we're heading, and we'd welcome the chance to explore what this looks like for your fund.
To find out more about how these tools are supporting member outcomes, speak to your Partnership Manager.
1 Tech Council of Australia, Future Ready: Australians and AI Workplace Tech, August 2025.
2 Tech Council of Australia & Datacom, Australian Tech Leaders Survey 2026, February 2026.
3 Media release: TAL expands Microsoft partnership to accelerate digital transformation and uplift AI skills. 21 April 2026.
4 ASIC, Enforcement Priorities 2026, November 2025; ASFA, Service Standard on Claims Handling in Superannuation, July 2025.
5 Media release: TAL expands Microsoft partnership to accelerate digital transformation and uplift AI skills. 21 April 2026.