AI in action: Streamlining submissions and transforming audits in insurance

Discover how insurers are embedding AI into core workflows to accelerate submissions, improve audit accuracy, and reduce operational friction—without disrupting what already works.

Most insurers struggle to move from promising models to operational value because of fragmented systems and legacy workflows. One of the key challenges facing insurers today is how to transition from reactive, manual operations to intelligent, explainable automation—without disrupting systems and processes that already deliver results. 

The goal isn’t to bolt on AI as a flashy add-on or approach it with hesitation, but to embed it thoughtfully, control its outputs, and ensure it delivers measurable impact over time. 

The real opportunity lies in pragmatic implementation over hype. By building ecosystems that integrate seamlessly into existing workflows and evolve with the business, forward-looking insurers are unlocking speed, efficiency, and profitability—without compromising stability.

At the 3rd Annual Re/Insurance Outlook Europe—the premier forum for insurers, reinsurers, and brokers—attendees took a deep dive into how AI is streamlining submission handling. The discussion focused on how AI can accelerate the processing of submissions while creating a digital audit trail that enhances traceability and accountability. This topic was explored in depth during a roundtable session titled “Transformation of Submission Handling and Audit with AI,” hosted by Niall Crowley (pictured), CEO of Inaza, on day two of the event (25 June).

The event, held on 24–25 June 2025 in Zurich, brought together over 200 attendees and offered a valuable opportunity to connect and network with some of the brightest minds in the industry. The interactive discussion explored the benefits of deploying AI in audit handling, as well as the reasons to proceed with caution.

Niall Crowley brings a trading-systems mindset to the world of insurance. With a background in actuarial science and after a career designing low-latency technology for tier-one banks across Europe and Africa, he co-founded Inaza in 2021 to inject the same speed, data discipline and automation into insurance operations. Initially the company’s CTO, Crowley architected Inaza’s real-time data and AI infrastructure before moving into the CEO seat, where he now shapes strategy, partners with carriers and reinsurers, and steers product vision.

Crowley’s mission is to eliminate back-office friction so insurers can achieve straight-through processing for underwriting, claims, and submissions handling.

What are the key ways that AI will transform submission handling and audit?

AI changes submission handling by automating the extraction, cleaning, and structuring of data from documents like PDFs, bordereaux, and loss runs. This reduces the manual workload and speeds up how quickly submissions can be reviewed and processed. For audits, AI ensures every decision is logged and traceable. Insurers can now see exactly what was extracted, what was flagged, and what was acted on. In contrast to traditional underwriting, where human decisions and checks often go undocumented, AI creates a clear, auditable trail for every step in the process.

Is there a reason to be cautious when handing over some responsibilities to AI?

Yes. AI is not the answer to everything. A hybrid approach that uses targeted AI alongside traditional logic delivers better results than using AI agents alone. This reduces the risk of hallucinations and improves explainability. In regulated industries like insurance, it is essential that decisions are consistent, auditable, and grounded in real data, not just language models. Guardrails, validations, and transparency must come first.

Can AI bring operational efficiency to these areas?

Absolutely. AI can cut submission processing time from hours to minutes by automating routine tasks like data entry, validation, and routing. This allows underwriting and operations teams to focus on more complex and high-value work without increasing headcount or workload.

How will AI streamline risk assessment and improve decision making?

AI and generative AI open up a new world of clean, structured data that teams often didn’t know they already had. By unlocking and enriching this data, insurers can spot trends, inconsistencies, or missed opportunities earlier in the process. This supports faster and more informed decisions, especially when working across high volumes of submissions or complex portfolios.

Does AI improve accuracy when auditing?

Yes. AI improves audit accuracy by logging every action taken during submission processing. This includes what data was extracted, how it was mapped, and any changes made along the way. It provides a full audit trail that makes it easier to check compliance, verify decisions, and respond to reviews or reinsurer queries.

For more information, contact Niall Crowley. https://www.inaza.com/

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