Elizabeth Wooliston, Chief of Markets: Artificial: Why the London Market is ready for intelligent automation (413)

Introduction  Insurance has never been short of technology promises. From Blueprint 2 to successive waves of digital transformation, the ambition has often outpaced the results. According to Elizabeth Wooliston, that's beginning to change.  Joining Robin Merttens on the podcast, Elizabeth draws on more than 30 years in the London Market to explain why the current wave of intelligent automation feels fundamentally different. It's not simply that AI has become more capable. Market conditions have shifted, brokers have embedded digital strategies into their operating models and carriers are under increasing pressure to respond to risks faster without compromising underwriting quality.  The discussion explores where automation is delivering value today, from follow markets and facilities to the far more complex challenge of open market placements and policy servicing. Elizabeth also explains why organisations should think beyond AI itself, arguing that success depends on structured data, specialist insurance knowledge and governance rather than simply adopting the latest large language model.  They also discuss how attitudes towards technology are changing across the market. Instead of replacing underwriters, intelligent automation is increasingly being viewed as a way of removing repetitive administration, allowing experienced professionals to spend more time applying judgement, developing client relationships and mentoring the next generation of talent.  In this episode you'll learn:  Why Elizabeth believes the London Market has reached a genuine inflection point for technology adoption  How brokers and carriers are creating new momentum for digital risk placement  Where intelligent automation is already improving underwriting workflows  Why open market placements represent the next major challenge for AI  The trade-offs insurers should consider when deciding whether to build or buy AI capabilities  What organisations need in place before agentic AI can be deployed successfully  Why governance and insurance-specific expertise are becoming competitive advantages  How changing expectations across the workforce are influencing technology adoption  What Artificial's recent expansion says about the growing demand for intelligent insurance infrastructure  If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Robin Merttens on LinkedIn.  Sign up to the InsTech newsletter for a fresh view on the world every Wednesday morning.