Secure Horizons' ex-Microsoft security chief warns apathy could derail insurance AI
Former Microsoft security advisor Sarah Armstrong‑Smith, now executive director at Secure Horizons, opened the Dive In Festival 2026 warning that rapid AI adoption in insurance could be undermined by employee disengagement. She said the speed of change outpaces what previous industrial revolutions required, creating a risk that staff, fearing job loss, stop contributing knowledge to AI projects.
Key points
- 61% of consumers prefer agents using AI, yet 87% still say a human agent matters (Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America survey).
- Only 35% of independent agents use AI daily, though 53% are optimistic about its impact (First Connect 2026 survey of 238 agents).
- Sarah Armstrong‑Smith, former Microsoft security advisor, warns that employee apathy is the biggest organizational risk to insurance AI adoption.
A survey by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America found 61% of consumers favor agents using AI, yet 87% still consider a human agent important. Meanwhile, First Connect’s 2026 survey of 238 independent agents showed only 35% use AI daily, even though 53% are optimistic and 77% see rising client expectations for faster quotes. Armstrong‑Smith emphasized that accountability remains with humans, and that apathy, not the technology itself, is the greatest danger.
Gabby Joyner of WTW echoed the sentiment, stressing that human judgment and relationships will stay critical as AI takes a larger role in insurance work. The festival’s theme, “The Human gAIn,” highlighted the need to balance technology with culture and connection.
Ex-Microsoft security chief warns employee apathy could derail insurance’s AI push
insurancebusinessmag.com · 22 September 2026
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