Evident drops first-ever AI maturity index for 30 top insurers. AXA and Allianz pull ahead, scoring 63 and 61.5 points, leaving most rivals stuck near 35.5. The gap tracks years of AI bets paying off.
The report highlights sharp divides between insurance types. Property & casualty insurers scored higher (37.7) than life insurers (29.2), thanks to shorter policies and richer data. USAA leads AI talent with 1 in 20 staff on AI roles and 200+ AI tools, including EagleGPT.
AI talent skews US for numbers (2.09% of workforce) but Europe owns responsible AI specialists (47% of ethics experts). Allianz employs 10% of the 23,000+ AI pros spotted across companies. 
AXA and Allianz top four key AI pillars: talent, innovation, leadership, transparency. AXA churns out nearly a quarter of AI publications in the index. US carriers hold the patent edge, State Farm leads with IP since 2015.
Leadership on AI impact? Spotty. Only three insurers—Intact Financial, Zurich, Aviva—report financial returns from AI. Intact alone gives detailed ROI: $150M annually.
Charles Brindamour, Intact Financial CEO:
At Intact, we think in terms of decades, not quarters… Intact was an early adopter of data and AI, and the transformative power is undeniable. For over a decade, Intact has used data and predictive AI to expand our competitive advantage in pricing and segmentation, which accounts for one-third of our Return of Equity outperformance.
Travelers CEO Alan Schnitzer stressed AI’s role in cost cuts:
In 2024, we implemented AI capabilities running from those driving efficiency through automation to more advanced generative AI and large language models. Over the past few years, automation and AI have been meaningful contributors to our expense ratio improvement.
Responsible AI remains a weak spot. Only 12 insurers have published public AI principles. EU regulations push European insurers to lead here.
The index proves early, balanced AI moves pay off. The top insurers widen the gap and build barriers hard to overcome.
Get the full index here.
