Friday, September 11th, 2026 — Consumers may welcome faster insurance service powered by artificial intelligence, but few are ready to remove people from the process when a serious claim occurs.

A national survey commissioned by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America found that 87% of consumers consider access to a dedicated human insurance agent important. At the same time, 61% said they are more likely to choose an agent who uses AI and other modern technology.

The divide becomes much sharper during claims. Only 6% of respondents said they would rely solely on AI during an accident, storm or significant claim. Consumers were more receptive to AI for narrower functions such as comparing quotes, answering general questions and providing claim status updates.

That distinction has implications for insurers and claims organizations deciding where to automate customer interactions. Automated status notifications and routine responses may fit consumer expectations, while major losses and complicated claim decisions remain areas where customers strongly favor human involvement.

Consumers also showed conditional support for broader AI use. About 67% viewed AI positively when used to identify coverage gaps, speed answers or improve service. Within that group, the largest share, 39%, said their support depended on a human professional remaining involved.

Separate research cited alongside the Big ‘I’ findings showed a similar reluctance to turn consequential insurance decisions over to AI. A February 2026 Insurity survey of more than 1,000 U.S. adults found 46% were comfortable with AI generating an insurance quote, compared with 22% who were comfortable having AI file a claim for them. Only 16% were comfortable with AI making renewal or cancellation decisions.

Traditional communication channels also remain important. In the Big ‘I’ survey, phone calls were the preferred method for routine updates and questions for 28% of respondents, followed by email at 23% and text messages at 21%.

The results point to a practical boundary for claims automation. Consumers appear considerably more comfortable with AI handling speed-oriented, lower-stakes functions than serving as the sole point of contact during a major loss. For claims departments, that makes the handoff between automated systems and adjusters particularly important. AI can deliver routine information quickly, but the survey provides little support for removing human professionals from complex or high-stakes claim interactions.

Consumer concerns may also affect how insurers deploy these systems. Roughly one-third of respondents identified losing access to a trusted insurance professional as their biggest concern about AI’s growing role during the next five years. Data privacy and AI errors involving policies or claims were also among the concerns reported.

For adjusters, the findings suggest that customer-facing AI may be most readily accepted as a support layer rather than a substitute for human claim handling. The strongest consumer resistance appears precisely where adjusters encounter complex facts, significant losses and customers seeking guidance after accidents and catastrophes.