Tech-driven transformation in the insurance brokerage sector is no longer theoretical. For Kevin Lea (pictured), director of digital product distribution at Axis Insurance, the shift is already here – and it’s unfolding on two distinct fronts.
“We are seeing development in two main silos,” Lea said. “The first silo involves bots, or AI agents, that automate repetitive data entry tasks.” Those include bots populating brokerage management systems (BMS), extracting carrier portal data, and handling accounting reconciliations - once time-consuming manual tasks, now executed faster and fatigue-free by machines.
The second silo is broader and not specific to insurance. “These are general-use AI tools like ChatGPT, AI note takers, and document review platforms,” Lea said. These applications are increasingly embedded in daily workflows, from summarizing meetings to drafting client communications. Together, these two tracks – industry-specific and general-purpose AI - are reshaping brokerage operations.
“Legacy systems have technological limitations,” Lea said. “Vendors are working on upgrades – some involving AI – but the biggest challenge is poor system connectivity.” That includes the lack of integration between brokers and carriers, and between CRM platforms and BMS systems.
“That lack of integration is the real bottleneck,” he said. Without open APIs and seamless connections, even powerful tools fall short of their potential.
Still, progress shouldn’t be stalled by imperfect conditions. “We shouldn’t let perfect be the enemy of good,” Lea said. Even in isolated implementations, automation can offload back-office tasks and free brokers to focus on high-value, client-facing work.
“These areas are ripe for disruption because their processes are relatively formulaic,” he said. But the human element still matters. “Most clients still prefer to know there’s a human involved,” he said. “They’re usually okay if the AI is somewhat disguised and just gathering information, but they want a broker they can rely on at the end of the process.”
That need for trust and human judgment reinforces the broker’s role, even as more interactions begin through digital or automated channels. A hybrid model – automation for efficiency, human expertise where it counts – is emerging as the most effective approach.
“Many tools don’t align with how brokers actually work,” he said. “Even advanced solutions risk being underused or rejected without that alignment.” Friction arises not just from integration gaps, but from tools that fail to mirror the pace and patterns of a broker’s day.
He emphasized practical design. “Even without perfect integration, brokers can improve daily workflows by using technology to offload back-office tasks,” he said. Tools must fit the real world, not just theoretical best cases.
“Being a trusted advisor is the core of what it means to be a broker at Axis Insurance,” he said. Bots can accelerate transactions, but they lack context and insight. “AI still hallucinates and lacks real understanding of a client’s home or business - that’s where brokers add irreplaceable value,” he said.
Used strategically, automation doesn’t replace brokers - it empowers them. “By offloading back-office tasks to automation, brokers can focus more on meaningful client interactions,” Lea said.
That, he added, is the real opportunity: not in replacing people, but in elevating what they do best.
