Specialty insurer CFC has begun piloting what it calls a first-of-its-kind agentic underwriting system, in a move that places the London-based firm at the forefront of a rapidly expanding market for AI-driven insurance technology.
The program, Lane Assist, is designed to process a submission from email to quote recommendation in seconds.
The pilot went live this month within CFC's cyber underwriting team, handling a limited number of real new business submissions. Every quote the system produces is reviewed and approved by an underwriter before it is issued.
Lane Assist automates data extraction and quote construction on low-complexity submissions, drawing on CFC's established underwriting rules. The company said it aims to increase the share of business handled on a low-touch basis without compromising underwriting quality.
"This is not a lab experiment – it's working with real submissions, in live workflows," said Chris Mullan, CFC's head of data and AI. He described Lane Assist as "a genuine step change" in how underwriting can be augmented responsibly, adding that the limited initial scope allows the company to validate outcomes before any broader rollout.
The initiative is part of a wider organisational overhaul at CFC, where "at least half of the departments are transforming in some way," according to Daniel Keeler, head of digital underwriting, who spoke in a February interview.
Nearly 40% of the firm's new business inquiries now arrive through digital channels.
For brokers, CFC said Lane Assist should mean shorter turnaround times on straightforward risks, freeing underwriters to devote more attention to complex inquiries and client relationships.
The pilot arrives as investment in agentic AI across the insurance sector accelerates. The market is projected to reach US$7.26 billion this year, up 26% from 2025.
Research from BCG has found that AI can improve underwriting efficiency by up to 36% in complex commercial lines, while a 2025 analysis reported that the technology had cut average decision times from several days to roughly 12 minutes for standard policies.
CFC has not disclosed specific performance targets for Lane Assist.
The push toward agentic underwriting also comes amid a tightening regulatory environment. The EU AI Act, which entered into force in August 2024, will impose strict obligations on high-risk AI applications in insurance starting August this year, as law firm Hogan Lovells has noted.
In the United States, 23 states and Washington, DC had adopted the NAIC's AI Model Bulletin in some form by late 2025, according to law firm Fenwick. The NAIC launched a multistate pilot of its AI Evaluation Tool in January, with 12 states participating.
The UK, where CFC is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, has opted for a principles-based approach. Hogan Lovells has flagged the divergence between the EU's codified regime and the UK's evolving framework as a compliance challenge for insurers operating across borders.
Mullan said the company's focus remains on "scaling agentic underwriting in a way that is genuinely valuable – for brokers, underwriters and ultimately our customers." CFC described the pilot as a first step, with plans to assess performance before any expansion.
