When Steve Whitelaw (pictured) talks about artificial intelligence in insurance, he draws a sharp line between what most industries are doing with AI and what’s truly transformative within the sector. The senior vice president and general manager of Applied Systems Canada says the company is intent on building vertical AI – technology designed specifically for insurance – rather than relying on broad, one-size-fits-all automation.
“Horizontal AI is the kind you can apply across industries,” Whitelaw explains. “It doesn’t matter if you’re in banking, retail, or insurance – think marketing automation or telephony tools. Those are valuable, but they’re not built for the specific problems our brokers are trying to solve.”
Applied’s focus, he says, is on vertical AI: embedding intelligence into the entire insurance lifecycle, from quoting and binding to servicing and renewals. “To do that properly, you need three things,” Whitelaw says. “You need really smart data people, deep insurance knowledge, and access to high-quality data.”
Applied has expanded rapidly in Canada, growing from about 200 to more than 450 employees over the past six years. That growth has been matched by a push to acquire both expertise and technology aimed at accelerating its AI development. The company’s acquisition of Israeli insurtech firm Planck brought a team of data specialists, while the recent purchase of Cytora added both people and a product line focused on risk intelligence and underwriting automation.
“These investments are about enabling brokers to use AI tools effectively,” Whitelaw says. “We want to make sure they can exceed their customers’ expectations and deliver service at the level consumers experience in other industries.”
The broader goal, he adds, is to bring true intelligence into the connected lifecycle of insurance – helping brokers streamline workflows, make better use of data, and create capacity for higher-value client interactions.
Whitelaw believes Applied’s biggest advantage lies in the data already within its ecosystem. As one of the most widely used platforms among Canadian brokers, the company has access to a wealth of anonymized market data, transaction patterns, and performance insights. When combined with its in-house expertise, that data forms the foundation for training more precise, insurance-specific AI models.
“It’s one thing to build generic machine learning,” he says. “It’s another to teach it the language of insurance – the logic of underwriting, the context of broker workflows, and the nuances of customer relationships.”
Applied’s approach to AI, in other words, is not about replacing people – it’s about amplifying their ability to deliver value. “We’re bringing intelligence into the connected lifecycle of insurance,” Whitelaw says. “The goal is to free up brokers to spend more time with customers, not less.”
At the heart of Applied’s AI strategy is the broker. Whitelaw is clear that every innovation must strengthen – not sideline – the intermediary role. “We’re all in on the broker distribution channel,” he says. “If brokers thrive, we thrive.”
This philosophy has guided Applied’s product development, from digital submission tools in commercial lines to embedded rating and real-time binding in personal lines. Together, these initiatives are intended to reduce manual work, minimize data entry, and create more time for brokers to focus on their customers.
The company’s introduction of Applied Pay follows the same logic. The tool allows brokers to manage premium payments directly – offering clients digital payment options like credit cards, EFT, and mobile wallets—without diverting the interaction to insurers. It’s a small change that keeps the broker at the center of the customer relationship while integrating seamlessly with accounting processes inside Applied Epic.
“All the accounts payable and receivables are maintained directly,” Whitelaw says. “That means no back-end book balancing. It frees up time and capacity for the brokerage team.”
Technology, however, is only part of the equation. Whitelaw acknowledges that insurance is facing a significant talent crunch, particularly in brokerage operations, and that automation alone won’t solve it. Applied is investing not just in systems, but in people – and that includes the next generation entering the profession.
To that end, the company has partnered with Humber College, one of Canada’s leading post-secondary institutions in insurance education. The collaboration integrates Applied’s tools directly into Humber’s Insurance Management Certificate and Commercial Lines Producer programs.
“Students aren’t just learning from a textbook,” Whitelaw says. “They’re actually using our technology to see how underwriting factors play out in real time.”
Within the curriculum, students use Applied Rating Services to explore how variables like location or driving history affect premiums. They graduate not only with academic credentials but also with practical experience on industry-standard systems. “It means that when they join a brokerage, they already know how to log in, look up an account, and service a client,” Whitelaw notes.
This approach has had a measurable impact. Humber boasts an almost 100% placement rate for graduates, and Applied’s involvement helps make new entrants more marketable—and more likely to stay in the industry long-term. “If you can keep people between three months and two years, they’re much more likely to stay,” Whitelaw says. “We want to make that transition easier and help retain talent.”
