The Profession Is Changing, Not Disappearing
Artificial intelligence has quickly become one of the defining topics in the property and casualty insurance industry. Much of the discussion has focused on automation and how adjusters will work alongside AI. While technology is clearly changing how claims are handled, the more significant shift is where adjusters create value.
For decades, the adjuster's role has combined technical expertise, investigation, customer advocacy, and decision-making with substantial administrative work. AI is increasingly capable of performing many of the routine activities that once consumed a significant portion of an adjuster's day, from reviewing documents and estimating damage to identifying potential fraud and supporting coverage analysis. As AI takes on more of the work involved in processing information, adjusters will spend more time interpreting it. Their value will increasingly come from applying judgment, communicating clearly, showing empathy, and taking responsibility for the decisions they make.
To better understand how this transformation is unfolding inside claims organizations, I spoke with Brian Fuller, Chief Claims Officer of EMC Insurance. While much of the industry discussion focuses on the technology itself, Fuller offers a different perspective. His observations suggest the transformation extends beyond AI to how organizations rethink the adjuster's role in an increasingly automated environment.
From Automation to Transformation
Many insurers began their AI journey by experimenting with individual use cases. Claims triage, document processing, image recognition, fraud detection, and virtual assistants were often developed as independent initiatives, each addressing a specific business need. Today, however, many organizations are beginning to think beyond isolated AI projects. They now ask how AI can improve the entire claims experience.
For Fuller, the catalyst was the shift in customer expectations more than the rapid pace of AI innovation. As EMC Insurance centralized its claims organization, the company had an opportunity to establish more consistent operating practices while taking a fresh look at how customers wanted to engage with the claims process. Some preferred a fully digital experience, others still wanted to work directly with an adjuster, and many expected both depending on the complexity of the claim.
That realization changed how EMC Insurance viewed AI. Rather than pursuing technology simply because it was available, the company focused on where AI could remove friction from the claims process while giving adjusters more time to focus on customers.
As Fuller explained, "To EMC, a claim often follows one of the most stressful events in a customer's life. Technology should simplify the process and activities, but it should also create more opportunity for adjusters to provide the empathy, reassurance, and judgment that customers continue to value.” That philosophy ultimately became part of EMC Insurance's broader commitment to "Keeping Insurance Human."
The same philosophy influenced how EMC approached AI implementation. Fuller described what initially seemed like an endless list of AI use cases. Rather than attempting to pursue all of them, EMC evaluated opportunities based on the business value they created, the friction they removed from the customer experience, the confidence the organization had in the technology, and how easily claims professionals could adopt it. Equally important was recognizing that not every capability needed to be developed internally. In many cases, EMC’s ecosystem partners already offered mature solutions aligned with their claims strategy, allowing them to focus internal investments where they could differentiate themselves most.
Those decisions reflect a broader lesson for the industry. The value of AI will depend on how well insurers integrate it into the way claims are actually handled.
Redefining the Adjuster
The skills that define successful adjusters are changing. Technical claims knowledge remains fundamental, but it is no longer sufficient on its own. Analytical thinking, communication, adaptability, and the confidence to question technology when circumstances require it is equally important.
When asked what capability is proving most difficult to recruit, Fuller did not hesitate. His answer was “critical thinking.”
For Fuller, “We can teach claims knowledge and help people learn new products. Sound judgment takes much longer to develop. Adjusters need to know what questions to ask, recognize when something does not look right, and make confident decisions when there is no obvious answer.”
That observation becomes even more important as AI becomes embedded in everyday claims handling. Fuller believes organizations must guard against adjusters becoming overly dependent on AI, even as the technology takes on a larger role in the claims process. Fuller goes on to state, “We want technology to help adjusters make better decisions, but we do not want them to stop thinking for themselves.”
EMC's approach reflects that philosophy. AI is positioned as decision support rather than decision replacement. Fuller points to auto physical damage claims as an example. “AI can analyze photographs and generate remarkably accurate repair estimates, significantly improving speed and consistency. Yet the adjuster and, when appropriate, an appraiser still review the estimate. The technology performs much of the administrative work as well as invoice preparation and analysis, but accountability for the decision always remains with the claims professional.”
The same principle extends beyond physical damage. Fuller believes AI has tremendous potential within casualty claims, particularly in helping adjusters identify when reserves should change as new information develops throughout the life of a claim. He says, “AI can evaluate significantly more information than an individual adjuster, helping identify patterns and potential reserve changes earlier. Even so, the recommendation remains exactly that, a recommendation. Determining the appropriate reserve continues to require professional judgment informed by the facts of the individual claim.”
That detail is becoming increasingly important as regulators continue examining the use of AI in insurance. While technology may influence more decisions, insurers and the professionals acting on their behalf remain responsible for claim outcomes.
Preparing for the Future
One of the greatest challenges facing the industry is preparing the workforce that will use AI. Adjusters develop expertise by handling large volumes of routine claims before progressing to more complex losses. As automation reduces that volume, insurers can no longer assume expertise will naturally develop through repetition.
EMC Insurance has responded by approaching talent development more intentionally. Alongside investments in technology, EMC has expanded university recruiting, strengthened succession planning, and created a residency program that exposes recent graduates to multiple parts of the organization before they move into permanent roles. Fuller believes these investments are essential because the future adjuster will require a broader set of skills.
The same technology changing the claims profession can also help develop it by giving adjusters immediate access to policies, procedures, regulations, and relevant claim information, while providing coaching that helps less experienced adjusters learn more quickly. Used thoughtfully, technology can strengthen professional development rather than diminish it.
What Insurers Could Be Doing Now
The industry's attention has understandably focused on what AI can do. Fuller believes insurers should begin somewhere else. His advice is to first, “understand who you are as a claims organization and the experience you want customers to have. Every insurer has its own culture, operating model, customer expectations, and brand promise. AI should strengthen those characteristics, versus replacing them.”
Organizations that compete on speed should use AI to remove delays. Those known for technical expertise or strong customer relationships should use it to give their people more time to deliver what customers already value. As Fuller explains, “The opportunity is to use AI in a way that reflects who you already are as an organization, while giving your people more capacity to apply the judgment and expertise that set you apart.”
Insurers also need to consider what AI means for their workforce. They may need to recruit different skills, reconsider how adjusters are trained, and strengthen governance as the technology assumes a larger role in claims decisions. Above all, they should develop professionals who can work effectively with AI while thinking independently and remaining accountable for their decisions.
Conclusion
While approaches vary across the industry, EMC sees artificial intelligence as a way to enhance efficiency behind the scenes, enabling claims professionals to spend more time on the human side of claims: helping policyholders navigate difficult situations with confidence, compassion, and personalized service.
Adjusters will spend more time interpreting information, guiding customers through complex decisions, evaluating automated recommendations, and exercising professional judgment. These responsibilities are not new, but they will account for a much greater share of the adjuster’s role.
As Fuller eloquently states, each insurer must decide how AI fits with the kind of claims organization it wants to be. That decision belongs to its leaders, but it will ultimately be reflected in the actions of the claims professionals who represent the company values when customers experience a loss.