Beyond the Estimate: How AI is Humanizing the Claims Experience with Bill Brower
Beyond the Ritual: Bill Brower on the Superhuman Future of Claims
In a high-stakes episode of Risk Management: Brick by Brick, host Jason Reichl sits down with Bill Brower, Senior Vice President of Claims at Solera, to dissect the friction between legacy insurance "rituals" and the burgeoning era of automation. With a career spanning thirty-five years—from his father's collision shop to executive roles at Nationwide and Liberty Mutual—Brower offers a unique bridge between the industry's manual past and its touchless future.
To find out how TrustLayer manages risk so that people can build the physical world around us, head to TrustLayer.io.
While many blame outdated software for the industry's stagnation, Brower argues the real barrier is psychological. "The technology’s there. The software’s there," he asserts, noting that tools to determine vehicle total loss or repair costs have already been perfected.
The true hurdle is a deeply ingrained industry culture that treats manual entry as a sacred rite. Brower observes, "We still have a lot of people that like to do it from scratch... where it’s a ritual". Transitioning from this ritualistic mindset to a "test and learn" philosophy is essential for any carrier hoping to survive the digital shift.
The "Superhuman" Claims Professional
A recurring fear in the industry is that AI will replace the human element. Brower offers a more optimistic synthesis: AI makes the claims person "superhuman". By delegating the grunt work of generating line-item estimates to machine learning, professionals are liberated to focus on higher-level strategy and customer empathy.
This isn't theoretical. In the collision repair space, large MSO groups are already leveraging this tech to greet customers with AI-generated estimates within ten minutes of arrival. By moving the expert estimator from a desk to a supervisory role over AI, cycle times decrease and customer satisfaction skyrockets.
Distinguishing Real Data from the "Buzz"
As AI becomes a pervasive marketing buzzword, Brower warns carriers to look under the hood. He distinguishes true innovation from "wrappers" by the depth of the dataset behind them. "Without the data, AI is not effective," Brower notes.
He advises looking for partners who:
- Possess a vast, robust dataset built over years, not months.
- Meet stringent regulatory and compliance standards.
- Offer solutions that are easy to integrate into existing platforms.
Predictions for 2030: The 24-Hour Claim
Looking ahead, Brower is bullish on a near-total digital transition. While he previously predicted that 80% of estimates would be written virtually by 2025, he sees the next five years bringing an even more radical shift.
In his view, the future holds:
- Virtual-First Handling: Claims handled almost entirely through AI-powered virtual environments.
- Digital Payouts: The elimination of paper checks in favor of near-instant digital transactions.
- Cycle Time Compression: Moving simple claims from a five-to-six-day conclusion window to mere hours.
Advice for the Next Generation: Adopt or Fall Behind
For those entering risk management, Brower’s advice is simple: adopt automation as a personal differentiator. The most marketable professionals are those who learn to use AI as a tool rather than fighting it out of fear.
"The things that’s gonna make you different... is how much do you adopt automation, innovation, and AI," he concludes. In an industry where anything that happens in the physical world eventually lands on a claims desk, the ability to process that reality with machine speed and human insight is the ultimate career advantage.
To hear the full discussion on instant payouts and smarter claims decisions, tune in to this episode of Risk Management: Brick by Brick.
👉 Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/4zncpn4z
👉 Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/5n7jfusn
👉 YouTube: https://youtu.be/It1iQD1TiM8
Podcast Host: Jason Reichl
Executive Producer: Don Halliwell
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