New research conducted by hyperexponential (hx), a provider of pricing decision intelligence software for the insurance industry, suggests a growing transatlantic divide in the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI).
While both UK and US insurers recognise the promise AI holds for the sector, hyperexponential’s findings reveal that US firms are moving ahead—showing greater confidence, higher investment, and more defined strategies.
The study, commissioned by hyperexponential, surveyed 350 professionals across underwriting, actuarial, and IT functions within the Specialty and Commercial insurance space in the UK and US. It found a shared belief in AI’s potential to support better outcomes.
According to hyperexponential’s data, 39% of US actuaries believe AI could make previously uninsurable risks manageable, while 58% of US underwriters anticipate improved decision-making. In the UK, 40% of underwriters also see AI contributing positively to underwriting quality.
Despite this shared optimism, hyperexponential reports that confidence in implementation is not evenly distributed. In the UK, only 17% of actuaries and underwriters feel highly confident in their company’s ability to deliver AI effectively.
Among IT and digital transformation professionals, confidence drops further to just 10%. This contrasts with US respondents, where hyperexponential found that 60% of underwriters and 52% of IT specialists say they are highly confident in their firm’s AI readiness.
Hyperexponential’s research also highlights a notable difference in how far organisations have progressed in setting out their AI strategies. Nearly half (47%) of US respondents say their company has a clear and well-communicated AI roadmap.
Underwriters and IT specialists in particular appear aligned on this direction. In the UK, only 16% of respondents say their organisation has reached the same stage. Alongside this, 17% report their firms have yet to begin forming a strategy at all. Moreover, hyperexponential notes that nearly one in three UK underwriters believe their company is underinvesting in AI—an opinion held by just 4% of their US peers.
The study further captures diverging expectations around workforce impact. According to hyperexponential, a third of UK actuaries predict that AI will lead to reductions in underwriting and actuarial roles. This view is much less common in the US, where only 9% of actuaries anticipate such a shift, suggesting a more optimistic outlook on AI’s ability to support rather than replace skilled work.
Among IT and digital transformation teams, hyperexponential observes an especially wide gap in sentiment. In the US, 85% of specialists report a positive outlook on AI’s role in insurance. In the UK, that figure falls to 43%, pointing to a more reserved or cautious stance.
Overall, hyperexponential’s study paints a picture of two markets moving at different speeds. While both acknowledge AI’s promise, the US appears better positioned to make meaningful progress. The UK, according to hyperexponential, may need clearer direction, stronger internal confidence, and more robust investment to close the gap.
Amrit Santhirasenan, CEO of hyperexponential, said: “AI is no longer a fringe experiment – it’s rapidly becoming a core consideration for how specialty and commercial insurers make decisions, build advantage, and serve evolving customer needs.
“While it’s encouraging to see universal recognition of AI’s transformative potential, the divergence between the US and UK in confidence, planning, investment and implementation around AI, demonstrates that there is no universally agreed playbook for AI roll-out. We must resist the urge to over-engineer solutions and instead focus on tightly scoped slices of end-to-end value, designed for iteration and learning with flexibility built in from the outset”
Santhirasenan continued: “One thing is certain, AI is not just a technical investment, it’s a strategic business priority for insurers. It demands leadership, cultural alignment, and organisational agility – areas where the US seems to be leading the way right now.
“However, the specialty and commercial markets are well-versed in adapting to a rapidly evolving risk landscape, and we have every reason to believe that insurers, regardless of geography, can harness the same resilience and innovation to unlock the full potential of AI.”
