Will insurance brokers be replaced by AI in 2026?

Afori's 5 Hot Theses for the New Year

Hardly any question is currently discussed more frequently in the insurance industry. AI is making its way into brokerage offices, automating processes, analyzing data, and supporting customer service. Many insurance brokers are therefore wondering how their profession will change in the coming years and whether personal consultation will still be necessary.

The short answer is: No. Insurance brokers will not be replaced, but their daily work is fundamentally changing.

Artificial intelligence mainly takes over time-consuming routine and back-office tasks, allowing the insurance broker to focus more on consulting, trust, and customer relationships. Afori has formulated five clear theses based on current market studies that show what insurance brokers in Germany can realistically expect by 2026 and why AI does not weaken the brokerage profession, but rather sustainably enhances it.

Thesis 1: AI does not replace brokers. The human factor remains indispensable.

Despite all the digitalization, personal consultation remains a core need of customers. Several current surveys show that brokers are still needed and appreciated. 88% of consumers prefer insurance advice from a human contact rather than from an AI. The proportion of customers who want their broker to report the insurance claim for them has even increased from 9% (2024) to 17% (2025).

These figures speak a clear language: The demand for personal support is in no way decreasing; on the contrary. Building trust and empathy cannot be replaced by AI alone. Rather than making brokers redundant, AI creates an environment where human advice becomes even more important: for difficult decisions, for the personal trust relationship, and as a quality filter in a world flooded with digital information.

Thesis 2: AI takes over routine tasks. Brokers gain time and efficiency.

The greatest efficiency gains from AI occur not in consulting itself, but where manual routine tasks still take up an disproportionate amount of time. The daily sorting of emails, the manual assignment of documents, the matching of offers, or simple processes like address and contract changes add up to a significant loss of productivity in the broker's daily work. AI-supported tools can partially or fully automate these tasks: They recognize content, understand contexts, assign processes correctly, and independently initiate subsequent processes. The operational burden decreases noticeably, without a loss of quality.

Efficiency increases through AI are directly reflected in hard numbers. Insurers expect over 20% cost savings within the next two years due to AI-related productivity gains. In brokerage firms that adopt AI early, high returns are already evident: Many broker companies have achieved a capital return of over 200 percent through AI tools, meaning that every euro invested brought back double the benefit.

The relief provided by AI is immediately noticeable in the broker's daily work. Processes such as automatically assigning emails to the correct customer or contract, creating personalized response drafts, or monitoring deadlines take place in the background without the broker needing to manually intervene. The result: faster response times, fewer errors, no process is forgotten, and the broker gains back valuable hours every day. This gained time can be invested in customer consulting, acquisition, or claims management, thus in exactly the areas where humans have unbeatable strengths.

Thesis 3: Hyper-personalization thanks to AI. Accurate offers in sales.

AI is revolutionizing the way insurance products are presented to customers, mainly through hyper-personalization. Modern AI tools can analyze vast amounts of data about customers (from contract and claims data to digital behavior patterns) and derive individually tailored recommendations from it. Customers today expect more than ever that offers and communication perfectly match their needs. For brokers, this means: With AI support, they can present the right offer at the right time, tailored for each individual customer.

The insurance industry is consequently investing heavily in such personalized approaches. According to a current EY study, 63% of insurers and brokers prioritize the use of AI to enable personalized customer interaction, such as through automated chatbots for cross-selling or individually tailored marketing messages. Practically, this means: AI helps brokers filter the customers from their portfolios who have a specific need for advice (for example, because a certain risk is increasing or a life phase is changing) and proactively offer suitable solutions.

This makes the service feel even more personal and relevant to customers. Instead of receiving standardized newsletters, for example, the customer is offered an individually calculated adjustment of their insurance coverage, including the reasoning as to why this fits their situation.

Thesis 4: AI as a competitive factor. Pioneers pull ahead of laggards.

The use of AI is no longer a "nice-to-have"; it is becoming a crucial competitive factor in the brokerage sector. Insurance brokers who consistently use AI-supported tools early on achieve measurable efficiency and scale advantages over hesitant competitors. The differences by company size are significant: While 84.2% of large insurance brokers with more than €100 million in revenue have invested in generative AI, the figure in the medium-sized segment (€25–100 million in revenue) is around 60%. Market leaders are strategically using their scale advantages to integrate AI deeply into their core processes. The lag is particularly pronounced among micro and small brokers: Only about 20% of insurance brokers with up to €3 million in revenue are currently using AI tools, while about 80% have not yet implemented any AI solutions. The reasons are less about the lack of benefits and more about structural barriers: limited resources, lack of technical expertise, and concerns about high entry costs.

For brokerage offices, this means: Those who invest in AI expertise and infrastructure now will gain a competitive advantage. Automated processes, data-driven insights, and faster response times lead to better service, which can make the difference in the tough competition for customers.

Thesis 5: Trust becomes the central differentiating feature. Especially because AI is everywhere.

The more AI automates processes, compares offers, and accelerates communication, the scarcer and more valuable trust becomes. Contrary to expectations, more AI leads to a higher importance of human credibility, not less. Studies clearly show: Customers accept AI as a tool, but not as a responsible entity.

According to a McKinsey study (2024), 71% of insurance customers state that they accept AI-based services, but only 29% would trust an AI with a final recommendation or decision without human oversight. This is particularly evident in claims cases: According to the Guidewire Customer Survey Europe, customer satisfaction rises by up to 38% when a personal contact oversees the process, even if AI speeds up the handling in the background.

AI makes information available everywhere. What it does not replace is the feeling of safety, responsibility, and reliability. This is where the insurance broker gains significance: as a translator and organizer in an increasingly automated world.

How Afori works exactly along these theses: AI as an amplifier, not a replacement!

Afori was developed precisely for this balancing act: maximum personalization and automation while fully preserving the human role of the broker. The platform does not aim to replace brokers but to multiply their impact.

Transparency instead of automation: AI supports, the broker decides (Thesis 1):

Every response, every suggestion, every follow-up from Afori is based on the complete context of the process. The broker can see at any time why the AI suggests something and retains decision-making authority.

Relief instead of displacement (Thesis 2):

Afori automates time-consuming routine processes such as email assignment, response drafts, deadline monitoring, and follow-up logic. Exactly where AI has the greatest potential for productivity gains according to studies, Afori supports its customers.

Personalization at the portfolio level (Thesis 3):

Afori utilizes existing customer and contract information to make communication individualized, consistent, and high-quality, without any additional effort for the broker. A personalized email suggestion is created in seconds.

Competitive advantage in everyday life (Thesis 4):

Faster response times, fewer errors, no lost processes. Exactly the factors that according to McKinsey and BCG determine market share gains are measurably improved in daily business with Afori.

Trust stays with the broker (Thesis 5):

Customers continue to experience "their" broker, now with personalized service and faster response times. Afori remains invisible in the background and strengthens exactly that which cannot be automated: trust.

Conclusion

Will brokers be replaced by AI? The short answer is: NO, but their daily work and business model will change significantly in 2026.

The theses clearly show:

• AI takes over processes, not responsibility

• Efficiency gains occur in the back office, not in the relationship

• Competitive advantages arise from intelligent use, not from waiting

• And the more automated the industry becomes, the more valuable the person behind it will be

For insurance brokers, this mainly means one thing: to set the right course now. Openness to innovation and the targeted use of AI tools that deliver measurable added value in everyday life are crucial.

Afori supports brokers precisely on this path with intelligent AI solutions that noticeably relieve operational processes without relinquishing decision-making or control authority. The broker remains responsible at all times but gains significantly in speed, overview, and quality.

The brokerage profession will not be abolished in 2026; rather, it will be enhanced. Brokers who use AI sensibly will work more productively, provide more individualized advice, and build stronger, more resilient customer relationships. Those who understand AI as a tool, not a threat, will not be replaced but will become indispensable.

Our long-term goal is to make AI the invisible infrastructure in brokerage offices: always available, maximally helpful, and completely under the broker's control.