The insurance industry, notoriously slow to change, is suddenly in a sprint. A defining report by KPMG titled "Leading in the Intelligence Age" reveals that insurance CEOs are no longer just dipping their toes in Artificial Intelligence—they are diving in headfirst. The driver? A ruthless demand for faster returns on investment (ROI).

The 2026 Global Tech Report paints a picture of a sector under siege. With customer expectations soaring and fraud becoming more sophisticated, insurers are turning to "Agentic AI"—autonomous systems that can make decisions, not just analyze data—to plug the gaps.

The Talent Gap Crisis

However, the road to automation is paved with potholes. The report uncovers a glaring paradox: while 88% of organizations are pouring money into AI agents, 53% admit they lack the human talent to actually run them. The "Intelligence Age" is here, but the intelligent workforce is missing.

• The Stats: 68% of organizations aim to reach full AI maturity by the end of 2026. Yet, currently, only 24% have successfully scaled AI across their business. The gap between ambition and reality is widening.
• The Human Element: Contrary to the fear of robots taking over, the report suggests a hybrid future. Leaders expect 92% of managing AI agents to become a critical human skill.

What This Means for Kenya

For the Kenyan insurance market, which is already grappling with low penetration, this global trend is a warning shot. Local insurers will need to digitize faster or risk being outmaneuvered by tech-savvy disruptors. The KPMG report suggests that the winners in 2026 will not be those with the best algorithms, but those with the best people to manage them.