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Underwriting edge report 2026

Underwriting Edge

Underwriting

excellence

in the age of AI

Report 2026

Independent research with Coleman Parkes.

What 350 senior commercial P&C underwriters say about how they work today, what gets in the way, and what comes next

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For underwriting leaders

Three things you’ll get

What defines underwriting excellence, and how that changes with seniority

How AI is changing the underwriting workflow today, and where underwriters want to see change

Underwriters’ top concerns, fears, and beliefs about the future of insurance

Think of the best underwriters you've worked with
- what made them good?

Think of the best underwriters you've worked with - what made them good?

They said “no” fast, asked the right two questions, and knew the portfolio impact of every risk they touched.

Senior / Lead Underwriter,
UK

Explore what 350 underwriters actually said

1. What are your top concerns for the future of underwriting?

Senior judgement leaving, not passed on

44%

AI deciding too early, at cost of craft

40%

Pace of change in emerging risk classes

37%

AI deciding in a black box, no audacity

33%

Pricing accuracy under soft market pressure

29%

Broker relationships becoming transactional

26%

Not having fit-for-purpose pricing models

25%

Not seeing improvement across the process

23%

Not having the right future skill

22%

Senior judgement leaving, not passed on

44%

AI deciding too early, at cost of craft

40%

Pace of change in emerging risk classes

37%

AI deciding in a black box, no audacity

33%

Pricing accuracy under soft market pressure

29%

Broker relationships becoming transactional

26%

Not having fit-for-purpose pricing models

25%

Not seeing improvement across the process

23%

Not having the right future skill

22%

2. Where has AI delivered the most meaningful value in your underwriting to date?

51%

25%

21%

3%

Saving time on manual admin

Automating workflow actions

Improving the quality of decisions

No value delivered

51%

25%

21%

3%

Saving time on manual admin

Automating workflow actions

Improving the quality of decisions

No value delivered

51%

Saving time on manual admin

25%

Automating workflow actions

21%

Improving the quality of decisions

3%

No value delivered

3. Underwriters’ ideal week moves time out of manual work and into judgement

Manual work

49%

Today

Ideal

36%

Judgement work

51%

Today

Ideal

64%

Manual work

49%

Today

Ideal

36%

Judgement work

51%

Today

Ideal

64%

Key stats

of underwriters who use AI say its biggest contribution so far has been saving time on manual admin

say the biggest change has been the quality of their decisions

name senior judgement leaving without being passed on as a top-three concern

Want the full picture?

Download full report

Want the full picture?

Download full report

Look inside the report

What makes good underwriting craft?

Page 1 of 5

Underwriting edge report 2026

Three things you’ll get

What defines underwriting excellence, and how that changes with seniority

What defines underwriting excellence, and how that changes with seniority

How AI is changing the underwriting workflow today, and where underwriters want to see change

How AI is changing the underwriting workflow today, and where underwriters want to see change

Underwriters’ top concerns, fears, and beliefs about the future of insurance

Underwriters’ top concerns, fears, and beliefs about the future of insurance

Senior / Lead Underwriter,
UK

Explore what 350 underwriters actually said

Explore what 350 underwriters actually said

1. What are your top concerns for the future of underwriting?

2. Where has AI delivered the most meaningful value in your underwriting to date?

51%

25%

21%

3%

51%

25%

21%

3%

51%

25%

21%

3%

3. Underwriters’ ideal week moves time out of manual work and into judgement

Manual work

Judgement work

Manual work

Judgement work

Key stats

Want the full picture?

Want the full picture?

Look inside the report

What makes good underwriting craft?

What makes good underwriting craft?

Get the full report

Get the full report

Underwriting edge report 2026

Three things you’ll get

What defines underwriting excellence, and how that changes with seniority

What defines underwriting excellence, and how that changes with seniority

How AI is changing the underwriting workflow today, and where underwriters want to see change

How AI is changing the underwriting workflow today, and where underwriters want to see change

Underwriters’ top concerns, fears, and beliefs about the future of insurance

Underwriters’ top concerns, fears, and beliefs about the future of insurance

Senior / Lead Underwriter,UK

Explore what 350 underwriters actually said

Explore what 350 underwriters actually said

1. What are your top concerns for the future of underwriting?

2. Where has AI delivered the most meaningful value in your underwriting to date?

51%

25%

21%

3%

51%

25%

21%

3%

51%

25%

21%

3%

3. Underwriters’ ideal week moves time out of manual work and into judgement

Manual work

Judgement work

Manual work

Judgement work

Key stats

Want the full picture?

Want the full picture?

Look inside the report

What makes good underwriting craft?

What makes good underwriting craft?

Get the full report

Get the full report

Senior / Lead Underwriter,
UK