Pacific Life has released findings from its 2026 Underwriting Outlook Survey, offering a closer look at how underwriting is changing across the life insurance market.
The US life insurer said the survey included responses from more than 100 senior underwriting and insurance executives.
It was conducted during the company’s fourth annual underwriting symposium in Laguna Beach, California, where insurers, reinsurers, and distribution partners met to discuss risk assessment, medical progress, digital capability, and distribution strategy.
The results show AI is moving deeper into underwriting operations.
Nearly 45% of respondents said AI is already part of day-to-day workflows, with 20% using it directly in routine work and 24% using it as a decision-support tool. Another 38% said their AI efforts are still in pilot mode.
Susan Ghaili, senior vice president and chief underwriter at Pacific Life, said underwriting is increasingly viewed as the first place where firms begin integrating AI.
She said the opportunity is significant, though the role of the underwriter is not disappearing. In her view, AI is speeding up the process, not redefining the profession, and giving underwriters better tools to make faster, more informed decisions.
Respondents said the biggest benefit of AI is quicker underwriting decisions, cited by 40% of those surveyed. Another 35% pointed to better use of medical and third-party data.
Fewer than 6% said improved risk selection was the main advantage. Pacific Life said the findings suggest insurers see AI more as a way to improve efficiency and data handling than as a replacement for human judgment.
The survey also points to a talent problem that isn’t going away. Around 70% of respondents said they are concerned about the long-term underwriting talent pipeline.
The reasons vary, though the pressure is clear. Some pointed to an aging workforce and the loss of institutional knowledge, cited by 38%.
Others flagged the challenge of balancing automation with human expertise, at 20%, or difficulty attracting younger talent, at 18%.
Ghaili said the industry is at a pivotal point and needs to bring through a new generation of underwriters comfortable with advanced technology without losing the critical thinking and risk judgment central to the role.
Pacific Life also said structured health data is gaining weight in underwriting.
52%, identified electronic health records as the data source most likely to have the biggest effect over the next three to five years.
That placed EHRs ahead of prescription and claims data at 21% and ahead of wearables or continuous health monitoring at 16%.
The survey also found that 57% of executives expect younger customers’ demand for faster, digital-first experiences to be the biggest generational force shaping the market.
That expectation keeps pushing underwriting toward quicker, cleaner, more connected decision-making. Fast, though not careless.
