According to the recently published 2026 Guidewire European Insurance Consumer Survey, UK customers have three priorities when it comes to insurers using AI. They are human intervention (33%), transparency (26%) and third-party regulation to keep the technology in check (23%). Familiarity with the technology also breeds comfort and the report found that while 63% of those who use AI tools daily are comfortable with ‘human-free’ policy decisions, this fell to 30% for the broader UK population.

Charles Clarke, group vice president of Guidewire, said: “To further enhance acceptance, customers are calling for greater transparency, regulation and human oversight. Insurers should work collaboratively with one another, with technology providers and with regulators to meet these expectations and build lasting trust in how AI is used whether those capabilities come from their core platforms, embedded assistants, or broader AI partners.”

Michael Cook, partner at PwC, added: “The findings underscore a clear desire among UK customers for a balanced approach to AI in insurance – embracing the efficiencies and convenience it offers, while ensuring that human judgement remains integral to decision-making especially as the use of AI moves beyond delivering efficiency into more value additive work and ultimately, operating differently.”