New research from Accenture has discovered insurance executives are planning on increased investment into AI during 2026 despite a widening skills gap in insurance organisations.
Surveying 3,650 C-suite leaders over 20 industries and 20 countries, the Pulse of Change poll revealed 90% of the 218 senior insurance executives intend to spend more on AI over the next year. In all, 85% of the respondents view AI as a tool for revenue expansion not one that reduces costs.
While organisations are upping their AI investment to drive growth, 35% of leaders acknowledge that true progress depends on getting core data strategies and digital abilities right. 54% of employees reported that low-quality or misleading AI outputs are undermining AI’s benefits, leading to reduced productivity and time-wasting.
AI investment may not be enough, Accenture says. Its survey suggests sustainable growth relies on data quality and trusted outputs.
AI adoption enters enterprise scale
The Pulse of Change survey indicates a shift in AI adoption as it goes beyond experimental phases to large scale organisational levels. With 34% of insurance companies now rolling out AI agents in multiple functions, insurers are heading into operational use and away from isolated experiments.
almost a third of senior C-suite leaders are frequently using generative AI, highlighting increased implementation at the highest level. Therefore, AI is undoubtedly shaping workflows, strategies, and key decisions, affecting all facets of businesses.
Nearly a third of businesses are rebuilding entire processes with AI. No longer is the technology a supporting addition to existing workflows; it has become a central component, signalling a more mature stage of AI adoption.
Despite redesigning processes to include AI, fewer than 10% are redesigning employee roles to match such changes, resulting in many employees feeling unprepared. Just 40% claimed their training has equipped them for new AI responsibilities, and only 20% feel like they have any say in how AI affects their work.
AI adoption by companies may be accelerating, but employee use lags behind. There has been a 10 percentage point drop in regular AI use by employees since summer 2025, while only 39% are trying AI tools independently, a drop of 15 points. For effective AI use and to speed up AI adoption among the workforce, companies must be prepared to redesign job roles, align incentives, and provide improved training programmes as, right now, employees are feeling hesitant and unprepared to use AI on their own.
AI investment still fuelling executive optimism amid bubble fears
Although talks around a potential AI bubble continue to cloud the industry, insurance executives remain confident. 47% claimed they would increase AI spending if the bubble burst, and 37% would escalate recruitment.
Altogether, 6% said they would “decrease investments ([by] 20% or more),” 22% would “somewhat decrease investments ([by] up to 20%),” 24% would make “no change,” 40% would “somewhat increase investments (up to 20%),” and 7% would “increase investments (20% or more).”
Khalid Lahraoui, Accenture’s insurance industry group lead, commented, “It’s clear that insurance leaders are confident in AI’s capacity to drive growth, and as such, they are decisively increasing investments, despite ROI uncertainty.”
Lack of AI skills blocking AI’s potential value
As insurance executives prepare to invest heavily in AI, obstacles lie in wait. For instance, a quarter of executives said skill shortages are a core concern and a key player in determining the value they extract from AI. Although these challenges persist in different industries, just 24% of respondents have implemented continuous learning programmes associated with AI. Moreover, only 5% said they are adjusting job positions to support the adoption of AI.
AI adoption disconnect
The disconnect between C-suite leaders and employees is evident from the survey’s data. Although talent is the main driver of AI scaling, employees feel less confident and secure than leadership assumes. 23% of C-suite leaders said improved access to skilled talent would accelerate their AI implementation strategies. 38% of employees believe their organisation would respond effectively to technological disruption, but just 30% feel confident about how their company would handle talent disruption.
Job security is also waning, with 48% feeling secure in their roles, down from 59% in summer 2025. Meanwhile, 59% of workers believe young professionals are finding it more challenging to find jobs due to automation and AI. Leadership may see talent as an accelerator for AI, but anxiety around job security and organisational readiness persists.
Key focus is on investment
Approximately two thirds of executives are prioritising investments in digital technologies and AI amid the rapid changes facing global industries. 67% reported feeling well-prepared for technological disruption, but only 39% felt confident if there was environmental disruption, and 44% for geopolitical disruption.
Again, there is a divide between leadership and employees, with only 29% of insurance workers feeling confident during economic disruption compared to 43% of leaders.
Optimism among insurance executives and C-suite leaders as a whole remains high, despite 82% expecting further changes in 2026, a 24 percentage gap with employees. 78% anticipate stronger and faster revenue growth in the next year and 82% have plans to increase recruitment.
According to Accenture’s report, the key challenge is not AI technology itself; it’s getting employees on board, engaged, and ready to work with AI.
As the report notes, bridging the gap between technology and people is the key to success. “2026 will favour those that align the confidence in their technological 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.)
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