For decades, insurance professionals built careers on expertise. In an era of AI, the new advantage may be something different: the ability to learn, adapt and make sound decisions amid constant change.

By Anna Lopata – ANZIIF Senior Writer

The insurance industry has never stood still. Regulatory reform, emerging risks, changing customer expectations and technological innovation have long shaped the profession. What is different today is the pace of change.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly moving from a future consideration to a workplace reality. While much of the discussion focuses on the technology itself, the bigger challenge for many professionals is not learning how to use AI. It is learning how to adapt when the way we work is evolving faster than ever before.

Research from the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 identifies analytical thinking, resilience, flexibility, agility and lifelong learning among the capabilities expected to grow in importance as workplaces continue to evolve. At the same time, LinkedIn estimates that by 2030, around 70% of the skills used in most jobs will have changed, with AI acting as a major catalyst.

The insurance industry does not need everyone to become an AI expert. It needs professionals who can ask good questions, evaluate information critically and continue developing new capabilities throughout their careers.

Unlearn outdated assumptions

Experience remains one of the insurance profession’s greatest strengths. Yet it can also become a limitation when it leads us to assume tomorrow’s challenges will look like yesterday’s.

For decades, expertise was built on mastering products, regulations and established processes. Those foundations remain important, but AI is beginning to change how information is gathered, analysed and presented. Tasks that once required hours of manual effort can increasingly be completed in minutes.

Adaptability requires a willingness to challenge long-held assumptions about how work should be done.

This does not mean abandoning expertise. Rather, it means recognising when a familiar approach may no longer be the most effective one.

Professionals who thrive during periods of disruption are often those who remain open to new ideas, even when those ideas challenge established ways of working. They view change not as a threat to their experience, but as an opportunity to apply that experience in new ways.

Ask better questions

As AI tools become more sophisticated, the value of simply finding information is declining. The value of asking the right questions is increasing.

Anyone can generate an answer using AI. The real skill lies in understanding what information is needed, identifying what may be missing and applying professional judgement to the result.

This is particularly relevant in insurance, where decisions often involve uncertainty, competing priorities and nuanced risk considerations.

An underwriter assessing a complex risk, a broker advising a client or a claims professional evaluating a difficult case must all go beyond the obvious. They need to probe deeper, challenge assumptions and identify potential blind spots.

In many ways, AI makes critical thinking more important, not less.

The professionals who gain the greatest benefit from emerging technologies are likely to be those who know how to frame problems clearly, ask thoughtful questions and evaluate the quality of the answers they receive.

Learn through experimentation

One of the biggest barriers to adapting is the belief that we need complete certainty before we begin.

Many professionals are waiting until they fully understand AI before engaging with it. The challenge is that technology evolves so quickly that complete understanding may never arrive.

Adaptable people approach learning differently. Rather than waiting for perfect knowledge, they experiment.

That might mean testing a new tool, exploring a different workflow or trying a new approach to a familiar task. Some experiments will succeed and others will not, but each provides valuable information.

This idea aligns closely with the concept of a growth mindset, developed by psychologist Carol Dweck. Her research suggests that people who view abilities as something that can be developed are more likely to embrace challenges, persist through setbacks and continue learning throughout their careers.

In a rapidly changing environment, the ability to learn from small experiments may be more valuable than attempting to predict every outcome in advance.

Strengthen your judgement

While AI can process vast amounts of information, it cannot replace human judgement.

Insurance professionals make decisions every day that affect customers, businesses and communities. Those decisions often require context, ethics, empathy and an understanding of consequences that extend beyond what data alone can provide.

One of the most effective ways to strengthen judgement is to seek perspectives beyond our immediate experience.

This could involve collaborating with colleagues from different disciplines, listening more closely to customer experiences or staying informed about developments outside your area of expertise.

Broader perspectives help identify emerging risks, challenge assumptions and reduce blind spots. They also support better decision-making in situations where there may not be a clear or obvious answer.

As AI becomes more capable, judgement may become one of the most valuable human skills in the workplace. The professionals who can combine technological tools with sound reasoning and informed decision-making will be best positioned to thrive.

Commit to lifelong learning

Perhaps the most important shift of all is recognising that learning is no longer a stage of a career. It is a career-long capability.

Historically, professional development often followed a predictable pattern: learn, qualify, work and periodically update your knowledge. Today, that cycle is becoming continuous.

New technologies, changing customer expectations and evolving regulatory requirements mean that skills can become outdated more quickly than ever before.

LinkedIn’s 2025 Workplace Learning Report found that organisations are increasingly prioritising learning agility and career development as they prepare for rapid technological change.

The most adaptable professionals are not necessarily those with the most qualifications or experience. They are the ones who remain curious. They actively seek opportunities to develop new skills, explore new ideas and expand their understanding of the industry around them.

Lifelong learning is no longer simply a competitive advantage. Increasingly, it is becoming a professional necessity.

Adaptability is the real advantage

While AI continues to dominate headlines, the deeper story is about how people respond to change.

The future of insurance will still depend on expertise, judgement and trusted relationships. What is changing is the speed at which professionals must learn and adapt.

Those who succeed will not necessarily be the people who know the most today. They will be the people who remain curious, challenge assumptions, embrace experimentation and continue learning throughout their careers.

In an increasingly AI-enabled workplace, adaptability may prove to be the most important soft skill of all.

References

• World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025
• LinkedIn, Workplace Learning Report 2025
• Carol Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
• Stanford Center for Teaching and Learning, Growth Mindset Resources

ANZIIF’s latest short course: AI-Ready Mindset: How to Learn and Adapt, explores the practical behaviours and learning strategies that help professionals build adaptability, approach change with confidence and make informed decisions in a rapidly evolving workplace.