The broker advantage: why AI can’t replace trust

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) rapidly reshapes the insurance landscape, brokers are facing growing pressure to balance digital innovation with the human relationships that remain central to advice and client trust.

Speaking at InsureTalk62, Jaco Brittz, Executive for Strategic Projects and Change (Retail) at Old Mutual Insure, explored how technology is changing the role of brokers, highlighting both the opportunities and challenges that come with rapid AI adoption. His presentation focused on how intelligent tools can help brokers work more efficiently, improve client engagement and strengthen decision-making, while reinforcing the importance of trust, empathy and human judgment in an increasingly digital industry.

Why AI and broker relationships are not opposites

At the centre of Brittz’s presentation was a question many in the industry are currently asking: will AI eventually replace the traditional broker relationship, or can the two coexist?

For Brittz, framing the discussion as a battle between technology and relationships misses the point entirely. He argued that the real opportunity lies in combining intelligent technology with the uniquely human elements that brokers bring to the table.

“The broker that will win in the future is not necessarily the most digital broker, but the most trusted broker who is enabled by technology,” he said.

According to Brittz, intelligent evolution is fundamentally changing what is possible in insurance. AI can help brokers move faster, work at a greater scale, reduce mistakes and extract valuable insights from scattered information that would traditionally take hours to process manually.

But despite these advantages, he stressed that insurance remains deeply personal. “Clients do not just buy a policy. They buy confidence, reassurance and the belief that someone they trust will be there to make sense of it all when something goes wrong,” he said.

For Brittz, this is where broker relationship power remains irreplaceable. Brokers are not simply distribution channels; they are translators, guides and trusted advisers who help clients understand risk and make informed decisions.

He warned that while AI can improve efficiency, speed alone does not automatically create better outcomes. “A faster answer is not always better advice, and more data does not automatically create more trust,” he explained.

Instead, the brokers who will succeed are those who use technology to strengthen relationships rather than distance themselves from clients.

From simple automation to smarter client insights

Brittz noted that the industry’s conversation around AI has evolved dramatically over the past year. Initially, many brokers viewed generative AI primarily as a productivity tool capable of drafting emails, summarising policy wording or creating training material. While these applications remain useful, the technology is rapidly moving beyond simple automation.

Today, AI is increasingly being used to connect fragmented information, assist with decision-making and help brokers prepare more effectively for client interactions.

“The value does not simply come from having AI,” Brittz explained. “The value comes from knowing where to apply it, when to trust it, when to challenge it and how to use it to improve the client experience.”

One of the biggest challenges in broking, he noted, is that client information is often spread across multiple channels and systems. Brokers manage emails, WhatsApp messages, PDFs, voice notes, renewal documents and policy information that are rarely stored in one neat location.

AI now has the ability to bring these fragmented pieces together into meaningful insights. “A year ago, many of us were asking AI to write something for us. Now it can help brokers understand a client’s situation, prepare for review conversations, surface missing information and summarise interactions across multiple systems,” he said.

Brittz introduced two emerging concepts that he believes will significantly shape the future of broking: deep research and agentic AI. Deep research refers to AI’s ability to gather, organise and interpret large volumes of scattered information to support brokers in understanding clients, industries and risks more effectively. “It’s almost like having a team of researchers sitting in the background preparing everything for you,” he explained.

Agentic AI, meanwhile, goes a step further by using multiple tools and systems together under human oversight. Rather than simply generating content, these systems can identify missing information, analyse communication history and help brokers prepare before engaging with clients.

Despite these advances, Brittz repeatedly emphasised that human judgment remains essential. “AI is powerful when it supports judgment, but dangerous when it replaces judgment,” he warned.

How AI can strengthen client trust and retention

A major focus of Brittz’s presentation was how AI can support brokers during critical relationship moments.

The first example involved difficult client conversations, such as delayed claims, renewal increases or premium adjustments. In these situations, Brittz explained that clients are not only looking for information - they are looking for reassurance.

AI can assist brokers by consolidating client history, surfacing previous concerns and suggesting important talking points before the conversation takes place. “AI can prepare the conversation, but the broker owns the reassurance,” he said.

This preparation allows brokers to approach conversations informed, calm and ready, improving both communication quality and client confidence.

Brittz also highlighted how AI can help brokers identify early signs of client disengagement. According to him, clients rarely leave suddenly. Instead, they gradually drift away through reduced engagement, unanswered messages or growing frustration that may go unnoticed in busy workflows.

AI can help identify these subtle relationship signals earlier by tracking missed touchpoints, communication gaps and recurring concerns.

However, Brittz stressed that AI should not replace genuine relationship management with generic automation. “The point is not for AI to send a generic message and tick a box,” he explained. “The point is for AI to tell the broker that this client may need attention.”

He contrasted automated communication with personalised broker engagement. “A generic message says your renewal is upcoming. A broker relationship message says, ‘I noticed we haven’t reviewed your property in a while, and I want to make sure your cover still reflects your current world.’”

For Brittz, client retention is built in the quiet moments between transactions, not only during renewals or claims.

He also discussed how AI can help brokers identify changing client needs before coverage gaps emerge. By surfacing signals such as changes in turnover, unusual claims patterns or lifestyle changes, AI can help brokers ask better questions and provide more proactive advice.

But once again, he warned against overstepping boundaries. “This conversation must feel like care. It should not feel like surveillance,” he said.

The future broker: powered by technology, driven by trust

Throughout his presentation, Brittz emphasised the importance of responsible AI use. Referencing research from Harvard Business School, he noted that while AI can improve productivity and performance when used correctly, it can also lead to poor outcomes when applied outside its strengths.

He gave the example of a client using AI to ask how to reduce insurance premiums and receiving incomplete advice suggesting the removal of business interruption cover.

While the recommendation may appear logical at first glance, Brittz explained that it lacks the broader contextual understanding required for sound insurance advice. “AI can provide an answer, but a broker must provide judgment and guidance,” he said.

He encouraged brokers to avoid blindly adopting every new AI tool and instead focus on using technology responsibly. “Use AI to prepare, not to pretend. Use AI to simplify but not oversimplify. Use it to support judgment, not replace judgment.”

Looking ahead, Brittz believes the broker of the future will combine technological capability with strong human relationship skills. Brokers who effectively embrace AI will be able to respond faster, prepare more thoroughly, communicate more clearly and identify risks earlier.

Most importantly, however, they will use technology to deepen trust rather than weaken it. “Trust is not built by resisting technology, but also not by blindly adopting it,” Brittz concluded. “It is built by using AI responsibly to strengthen relationships.”

As AI capabilities continue to evolve at an extraordinary speed, Brittz’s message to brokers was clear: technology alone will not define the future of advice. The true competitive advantage will belong to brokers who can combine intelligent tools with empathy, judgement and trusted human relationships.

Writer’s Thoughts

The future of advice will not be defined by artificial intelligence alone, but by how effectively brokers combine technology with empathy, insight, and experience. In a world of increasing automation, trust may prove to be the industry's most valuable asset.  Please comment below, interact with us on X at @fanews_online or email me your thoughts.