Report: 85% of Insurance Executives Believe AI Will Strengthen Customer Trust, Only 40% of Policyholders Agree
New Hi Marley Research Reveals Gaps Between P&C Insurers’ and Policyholders’ Perceptions of AI-Enabled Communication
Boston, MA – September 24, 2026 – As P&C insurers accelerate investment in AI-enabled customer communication, a disconnect is emerging between industry confidence and customer sentiment, according to new research from Hi Marley, the intelligent communication platform for P&C Insurance.
The study, which surveyed 550 senior P&C insurance decision-makers and 2,000 policyholders across the U.S. and Canada, found that 85 percent of insurance executives expect AI to strengthen customer trust. Policyholders see it differently: just 40 percent agree, while nearly as many believe AI will actually weaken the trust they place in their carrier.
Sixty-five percent of insurers expect to increase dedicated AI investment across a broad range of functions. Only about half of policyholders are mostly or completely confident their insurer will use AI responsibly. And two-thirds of policyholders said their biggest concern isn't AI itself, but the fear of not being able to reach a human when it matters.
However, the study revealed that when policyholders used AI-supported channels to communicate with their insurer, they responded positively, with 91 percent saying they were satisfied with the experience.
The results showed that policyholders’ acceptance and comfort with AI-enabled communication depend heavily on where AI is used, how transparent it is, and whether a human is available when it matters most. In fact, 90 percent of customers say knowing when they're interacting with AI is very or extremely important.
“As carriers deploy AI-enabled communication, building and maintaining trust with customers depends on reassurance that policyholders will be able to access a human to help with important decisions, confirm the accuracy of information, and provide support in critical and emotional situations,” said Principal Industry & Market Insights at Hi Marley and report co-author, Stephanie Behnke. “Carriers must identify where AI reduces friction without removing judgment and empathy.”
As Dave Fernandez, Chief Claims Officer at Kingstone Insurance, a P&C insurer serving policyholders in New York for over 138 years, explained in the report, “AI can support coverage decisions, liability determinations, payment decisions and negotiations, but it shouldn’t be the decision-maker.”
Roughly two-thirds of policyholders say they would trust AI-delivered answers to general insurance questions or coverage details. That trust drops to just 45 percent when it comes to information needed to file a claim correctly.
The findings suggest that to improve customer experience while supporting stronger operational performance, carriers should start with interactions where AI's role is clear and the consequences of getting it wrong are lower, then expand its role as the technology, governance, and customer experience mature.
"AI adoption is going to be high across the industry, and to some extent it levels the playing field. We have to make sure that doesn't turn into a race to the bottom, where talking to us feels no different than talking to any other carrier,” stated Saurabh Saraf, Chief Digital Officer at Amica Insurance, the longest-standing mutual insurer of automobiles in the U.S., in the report. “The real question isn't whether AI helps, it's what else we do to stay differentiated once everyone has access to the same baseline capability."
“More automation will not differentiate the customer experience; carriers who identify where AI can improve the exchanges, where human support is needed, and how to keep the conversation progressing will have an advantage,” said VP Industry Strategy at Hi Marley and report co-author, Alex Burgess. “A successful AI interaction is not simply one that provides an answer, but one that helps the policyholder understand what to do next or moves the issue closer to resolution.”
The report, intended to help carriers make more informed decisions about where and how to scale AI-enabled customer communication, also explores early adopters' experiences. It outlines how carriers can identify and mitigate potential challenges around strategy, data, customer expectations, people, and governance as they deploy AI at scale.
To read the complete findings, download the report: The State of AI in P&C Insurance Communication 2026: Navigating Customer Expectations and Investment Priorities for the Next Era of AI-enabled Insurance Communication.
Methodology
This report draws on two commissioned surveys fielded in parallel by Hi Marley's external research partner, Berkeley Communications and Arlington Research, in June 2026. The insurer survey reached 550 senior P&C insurance decision-makers across the United States and Canada (300 US, 250 Canada; fielded June 14–25, 2026). The policyholder survey reached 2,000 adults aged 18 and older who are homeowners, renters, and/or auto insurance policyholders (1,000 US, 1,000 Canada; fielded June 16–27, 2026). Both instruments were tested for significance at a 96% confidence level.
About Hi Marley
Hi Marley is the Intelligent Communication Platform for P&C Insurance. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Boston, Hi Marley helps carriers deliver better insurance experiences through communication that is simple, connected, and built for the way P&C teams work. Trusted by more than 130 carriers, including 4 of the top 10, Hi Marley connects carriers and the insurance ecosystem in a single conversation, applying AI responsibly to reduce friction, move work forward, and support policyholders when it matters most.