Auto Claims: Future May Belong To Bots

Despite a decade of prominence, the Age of the App may be over. The future of auto claims could belong to the chatbots. Equipped with AI and machine learning capabilities, these computer software programs can conduct natural language-like conversations with customers in real time. Already, Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri are working as personal assistants and shoppers, while others serve as bankers, officer managers, HR administrators, concierges and more. And it won’t be long before chatbots quickly expand throughout the insurance sector. They are already starting. Because the insurance industry is traditionally slow to adopt new technology, apps are still considered “cutting-edge” by many insurance carriers. Compared with chatbots, though, mobile self-service apps may shortly be seen as the customer-service equivalent of a horse and buggy. According to Gartner, 20% of all brands will abandon their mobile apps by 2019. By contrast, Gartner forecasts that, by 2020, AI bots will power 85% of all customer service interactions.