Half of insurance brokers now see innovation as the most important value for their business, with AI and digital tools increasingly central to how they trade, Aviva's latest Broker Barometer has found.
Digital innovation ranked ahead of competitive pricing as a driver of success, with 36% of brokers identifying it as a top factor compared with 32% for pricing.
Nine in 10 brokers said they were willing to manage business digitally, a 10% rise on last year. A similar share said digital tools were improving their relationship with insurers.
The Broker Barometer found brokers want insurers to move faster and be more transparent. Nearly half called for flexible, end-to-end customer solutions, while 44% said they wanted clearer visibility over who is handling their quotes and claims.
Two in five said they would like greater use of AI and automation for personalised insights. The same proportion wanted quotes turned around within 24 hours. Faster claims settlement was the single most cited priority, at 46%.
Jason Chambers (pictured above), Aviva's director of innovation for commercial lines, said relationships remain the foundation. "In current trading conditions, relationships are more important than ever, and innovation is key to strengthening them," he said.
The push for digital does not appear to come at the expense of personal service. A McKinsey report published in February found AI is more likely to help brokers counsel clients and expand their margins than displace them. Deloitte's 2026 insurance outlook reached a similar conclusion, urging insurers to blend digital and human touchpoints.
The Broker Barometer data tells the same story. Brokers are layering digital efficiency on top of personal relationships, not choosing between the two.
Read more: Aviva launches on ChatGPT app
Not everyone has been so sanguine. In February, Insurify's launch of an insurance-focused app on OpenAI's ChatGPT platform triggered a sharp selloff in broker stocks. Major US brokerages fell 8% to 11% in a single session. European firms including Aviva were also hit.
Analysts largely dismissed the reaction. Wolfe Research noted the app targets simple personal lines quotes, far removed from the complex commercial risks where brokers earn most of their revenue. J.P. Morgan said it expects human and AI-led distribution to coexist.
Chambers said Aviva is investing in tools that address broker demand for speed and transparency, including a quote tracker and real-time claims tracking.
The goal, he said, is to combine AI, data, and underwriting expertise so brokers can spend more time with clients. "Whether brokers want to self-serve digitally or engage face-to-face, we're making it easier than ever to trade with Aviva," he said.
