A British specialist insurer is scaling agent-based AI across the entire claims organization. The implementation shows that artificial intelligence is no longer being used experimentally in insurance operations, but is increasingly taking over core operational processes.
British insurer Acorn Group has significantly expanded its collaboration with software provider Simplifai and is now using agent-based AI in claims processing throughout the company. In future, around 400 claims handlers will work with automated decision-making and analysis processes along the entire claims chain.
The technology had previously been introduced on a limited scale at the beginning of 2025. According to the company, the first phase has already led to measurable improvements in processing times, fraud detection and cost control. The current expansion stage now marks the transition from pilot project to operational platform operation.
Focus on critical damage decisions
AI is being used specifically in areas that are traditionally considered particularly complex and cost-relevant:
Fraud detection
Incoming documents and emails are automatically compared with dynamic risk lists. Indications of fictitious accidents or identity theft are detected before payments are triggered.
Major damage
Motor vehicle damage with possible total loss is identified automatically. The systems support claims handlers in the decision to repair or write off.
Property damage inspection
Expert reports and invoices are summarized, evaluated and compared with tariff and guideline logic. This eliminates a large proportion of manual document checks.
The aim is less to fully automate and more to shift human work: employees should concentrate on complex cases and customer contact, while routine analysis is carried out automatically.
Speed instead of a change management marathon
The speed of implementation is remarkable. Within two days, 186 claims handlers were trained on the new systems. According to the company, productivity gains were immediate.
The project thus contradicts a widespread assumption in the industry that the introduction of AI inevitably requires lengthy organizational transformation. The decisive factor here appears to be process integration rather than technological expertise: The application works in parallel with existing systems.
Modernization without breaking the system
Many insurers are faced with a structural conflict of objectives: modernize core systems or drive automation. Acorn is pursuing both at the same time. The architecture of the platform enables AI workflows to run on both old and new IT environments.
This reduces the typical risks of transformation projects – such as project stops or frozen releases during migrations – and explains why the implementation generated hardly any operational friction.
Significance for the market
The move signals a change in the use of artificial intelligence in the insurance sector. While many companies continue to test isolated use cases, this is the first time that end-to-end claims processing has been organizationally designed for AI support.
As a result, the role of technology is shifting: from an efficiency tool for individual processes to an infrastructural component of operational value creation. For insurers, this means one thing above all: in future, competitive advantages will come less from individual algorithms and more from consistent integration into workflows.
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