Year 2026 - AI and Insurance Intermediaries 人工智能時代下的保險中介轉型之路

25 2025 年刊與 2026 展望 YEARBOOK 2025 & PROSPECT 2026 claims and fraud analysis, and 40% plan to increase AI investment over the next two years. (Vanessa Yuen, 2025). According to a publication issued by OneDegree, one of the virtual insurers, it turned the company into a profitable operation within five years. The company used programmes in underwriting and claims, and streamlined renewal processes in specific product areas, such as pet insurance and household insurance. In other words, they rely on a combination of AI-based automation and human oversight. In conclusion, while AI adoption in Hong Kong’s insurance sector is speeding up, the process remains gradual and still requires human oversight. The profitability gains reported by virtual insurers such as OneDegree show that integrating AI with strategic human involvement can provide significant competitive advantages. These developments support the idea that, instead of making insurance professionals obsolete, AI equips agents and brokers to offer more personalised and efficient services. Therefore, for agents and brokers to remain relevant in a rapidly changing industry, it is vital to view AI as a tool to improve service quality and operational efficiency, rather than merely a threat to their roles. While there are no studies in Hong Kong q u a n t i f y i n g j o b d i s p l a c eme n t d u e t o automation, the presence of virtual insurers suggests some roles have been replaced by machines. To provide perspective, global automation studies estimate that between 5-10% of back-office roles in financial services have been automated in recent years, and insurance is following a similar trend. At the same time, increased use of technology has created demand for professionals with diverse skill sets, such as programmers, system maintenance staff, and technicians with both insurance and IT or AI expertise. This shift has changed the insurance workforce, as automation reduces repetitive tasks and allows employees to focus on product development and cus tomer ana l ys i s to de l i ver more customer-focused services. According to the Hong Kong Insurance Au t ho r i t y, a l i censed i nsu r ance agen t represents a specific insurance company to promote policies but generally cannot issue policies or settle claims. A licensed insurance broker acts on behalf of policyholders, advising them on their insurance needs and sourcing suitable policies, but also lacks the authority to bind coverage, issue policies, or settle claims. Therefore, AI is unlikely to eliminate the roles of insurance agents and brokers. In life insurance, AI applications can help produce clearer product illustrations, streamline record- keeping, and simplify audits. For agents, AI frees up time to better understand clients' needs and promote products, while brokers can focus on designing more effective solutions for their clients. Moreover, the main functions of both insurance agents and brokers in providing empathy to clients through personal care, relationship building, and post-sales support cannot be replaced by machines. In summary, insurers and intermediaries can put these insights into practice by launching small-scale pilot projects to evaluate AI's potential in their operations. For example, implementing an AI-assisted claims triage can he l p agent s and brokers pr i or i t i se customer cases more effectively and improve response times. These low-risk experiments allow organisations to assess AI's benefits in a controlled setting and develop practical expertise. They also show that integrating AI can boost efficiency and enable agents and brokers to provide more personalised services. Ultimately, such initiatives support the broader view that strategic AI adoption empowers rather than replaces insurance professionals in a changing industry.