A new study from Accenture finds that insurance executives plan to increase investment in AI in 2026, despite a widening skills gap within insurance organizations.
A Pulse of Change poll surveyed 3,650 executives across 20 industries and 20 countries and found that 90% of 218 senior insurance executives intend to increase spending on AI over the next 12 months. Overall, 85% of respondents see AI as a revenue-enhancing tool rather than a cost-cutting tool.
Organizations are increasing investments in AI to drive growth, but 35% of leaders agree that real progress depends on getting their core data strategy and digital capabilities right. 54% of employees reported that low-quality or misleading AI output undermines the benefits of AI, leading to reduced productivity and wasted time.
Investing in AI alone may not be enough, Accenture says. The study suggests that sustainable growth depends on data quality and reliable output.
AI adoption at enterprise scale
Pulse of Change’s research shows that AI adoption is moving beyond the experimental stage to the large organizational level. 34% of insurers are now deploying AI agents across multiple functions, moving insurers away from isolated experiments and toward real-world operations.
Almost one-third of senior executives use generative AI frequently, highlighting increased implementation at the highest levels. Therefore, AI is undoubtedly shaping workflows, strategies, and critical decisions, impacting every aspect of business.
Nearly one-third of companies are using AI to reengineer entire processes. This technology is no longer just a support addition to existing workflows. This has become a central component and signals a more mature stage of AI adoption.
Despite redesigning processes to incorporate AI, less than 10% of companies are redesigning employee roles to accommodate such changes, and as a result, many employees feel unprepared. Only 40% claimed that their training prepared them for the new responsibilities of AI, and only 20% felt they had a say in how AI affected their work.
While companies may be accelerating the adoption of AI, employees are lagging behind in its use. Since summer 2025, regular use of AI by employees has decreased by 10 percentage points, but only 39% are experimenting with AI tools on their own, a decrease of 15 percentage points. To use AI effectively and accelerate its adoption into the workforce, companies must be prepared to redesign jobs, align incentives, and offer improved training programs. Currently, employees feel hesitant and unprepared to use AI themselves.
AI investments continue to fuel executive optimism amid bubble concerns
While debate over a potential AI bubble continues to cloud the industry, insurance executives remain confident. 47% said they would increase spending on AI once the bubble bursts, and 37% said they would increase hiring.
In total, 6% said they would “decrease investment (by more than 20%),” 22% said they would “reduce investment somewhat (up to 20%),” 24% said they would “stay the same,” 40% said they would “increase investment somewhat (up to 20%),” and 7% said they would “increase investment (more than 20%).”
“It’s clear that insurance industry leaders have confidence in AI’s ability to drive growth, which is why they are decisively increasing investment despite ROI uncertainty,” said Khaled Rahraoui, Accenture’s insurance industry group leader.
Lack of AI skills hinders AI’s potential value
As insurance executives prepare to make big investments in AI, obstacles lie ahead. For example, a quarter of executives say skills shortages are a core concern and a key factor in determining the value they derive from AI. Although these challenges remain across industries, only 24% of respondents have implemented continuous learning programs related to AI. Further, only 5% said they were adjusting their job roles to support AI implementation.
Discontinuation in AI adoption
The disconnect between executive leadership and employees is evident in survey data. People are the main driver of AI scaling, but employees don’t feel as confident or secure as leaders expect. 23% of executives said improved access to skilled talent would accelerate their AI adoption strategy. 38% of employees believe their organization will respond effectively to technological disruption, but only 30% are confident in how their company will handle talent disruption.
Job security has also declined, with 48% feeling secure in their role, down from 59% in summer 2025. Meanwhile, 59% of workers believe automation and AI are making it more difficult for young professionals to find work. Executives may view talent as an accelerator for AI, but concerns about job security and organizational readiness persist.
The main focus is investment
Amid the rapid changes facing global industries, nearly two-thirds of executives are prioritizing investments in digital technology and AI. While 67% said they felt well prepared for technological disruption, only 39% felt confident in the event of environmental disruption, and 44% for geopolitical disruption.
Once again, there is a divide between leaders and employees, with only 29% of health workers feeling confident during economic turmoil, compared to 43% of leaders.
Despite 82% expecting more changes in 2026, optimism among insurance company executives and C-suites overall remains high, with a 24 percentage point difference from employees. 78% expect revenue growth to be stronger and faster next year, and 82% have plans to increase hiring.
According to the Accenture report, the key challenge is not the AI technology itself. Employees are onboarded, engaged, and ready to take advantage of AI.
As the report points out, bridging the gap between technology and talent is the key to success. “2026 will favor companies that match confidence in technology investments with commitment to workforce needs,” the report concludes.
(Image source: “Accenture Building City View Plaza San Jose” by mrkathika is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.)
Want to learn more about AI and big data from industry leaders? Check out the AI & Big Data Expos in Amsterdam, California, and London. This comprehensive event is part of TechEx and co-located with other major technology events. Click here for more information.
AI News is brought to you by TechForge Media. Learn about other upcoming enterprise technology events and webinars.
