“Underwriters are still central. No technology should aim to replace underwriters. The value is in the underwriter’s judgment, and we’re going to need that judgment more than ever as risk complexity increases. And the same goes for technology partners: the best partners won’t just build software. They’ll understand insurance deeply.”
— Rekha Kaushal, VP of Customer Success
This article is an excerpt from the P&C Insurance Leaders’ Outlook 2026.
Rekha Kaushal, VP of Customer Success, is instrumental in demonstrating Cogitate’s AI capabilities to the marketplace. Whether working with a customer on an implementation, or meeting prospects at an event, Rekha always emphasizes a people-first approach to AI across the DigitalEdge Insurance Platform.
Michael: Looking at 2026, what changes or trends do you foresee in how policies are underwritten?
Rekha: By 2026, policy writing is going to become hyper-personalized, largely because of the amount of data we’ll be able to use confidently and in real time. Instead of broad assumptions, underwriting will pull from richer data sources to create pricing and coverage decisions that are more accurate and more specific to the individual risk. Underwriting is also shifting from being reactive to being data-forward and predictive. You’ll see more automation supporting key moments in the process like data gathering, triaging, and inspections, moving all the way through policy issuance.
But I want to be clear: AI isn’t replacing underwriters. Underwriting still requires human judgment. Technology can bring speed and accuracy, but underwriters are still the ones using their skills and experience to finalize the policy, apply exclusions, and determine its value.
Michael: What’s the real benefit of hyper-personalization in Insurance?
Rekha: Well, Michael, hyper-personalized policies reduce uncertainty. Today, we often question whether the risk we’re underwriting is truly represented by what we have in front of us. In 2026, we’ll be able to verify and assess more of that risk automatically, leading to faster and more accurate quoting and underwriting. That accuracy also improves outcomes internally. It helps underwriters focus on writing more profitable business, reduces manual errors, and gives carriers and MGAs a better ability to scale intelligently without losing control.
Michael: What roles do underwriters and technology partners play in the future?
Rekha: Underwriters are still central. No technology should aim to replace underwriters. The value is in the underwriter’s judgment, and we’re going to need that judgment more than ever as risk complexity increases. And the same goes for technology partners: the best partners won’t just build software. They’ll understand insurance deeply. If a partner understands the nuances of underwriting, they can deliver technology that fits how insurers actually operate, and they can solve problems that only insurance experts can solve. So, in 2026, the winning formula is hyper-personalization powered by AI, paired with experienced underwriters, supported by industry-savvy technology partners
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