Insurers Boost AI Hiring as Overall Headcount Falls

Benchmarking firm Evident reported that insurance companies hired 32% more artificial intelligence specialists last year even as total sector employment fell 2.2%. The index found one in every 50 roles in the industry is now AI-based.

Allianz topped Evident’s AI adoption index and employs 28% more AI specialists than second‑placed AXA. Zurich ranked fourth, reflecting a shift from pilot projects to wider, enterprise deployment of AI across insurers.

Barbara Karuth‑Zelle, Allianz’s group chief operating officer, described the effect of AI as an acceleration of the company’s delivery on existing goals. “Behind this ranking are thousands of moments: a claim processed faster, a customer experience reimagined, a partner better connected, a colleague freed up for what truly matters. And we are determined to keep going — an inspiring, transformative journey,” she said.

Ericson Chan, Zurich’s chief information and digital officer, noted the insurer is moving from isolated use cases to company‑wide implementation. He added that AI is becoming part of Zurich’s operating model.

Evident highlighted growing use of agentic systems, software that links several steps of a process such as first notice of loss, triage, evidence assessment and policy checks. Christian Preece, Evident’s insurance director, pointed out that connecting those steps can reduce manual bottlenecks and reshape workflows rather than creating standalone efficiencies.

The index drew parallels with banking, where top lenders have increased AI recruitment at comparable rates. Earlier findings from the same firm showed that one in 50 new hires at the top 10 banks filled AI‑related roles.

An IT professional with experience in both banking and insurance recalled that AI was not discussed the last time he worked at an insurer and that earlier change efforts focused on agile development. He said banks have tended to deploy new technology more rapidly, in part because of their larger scale and broader customer bases.

Alexandra Mousavizadeh, co‑founder of Evident, said insurers are moving from foundation building to scaling and execution, with AI influencing underwriting, claims management and fraud detection across product lines.

The index indicates a change in recruitment and investment patterns: while overall employment in the sector edged down, insurers are channeling more hiring and resources into AI roles that support automation, decision‑making and end‑to‑end workflows.