New data from Evident's Insurance AI Patent Tracker shows that AI innovation in the insurance sector remains highly concentrated, with three US Proparty and Casualty (P&C) insurers -- State Farm, USAA and Allstate -- accounting for 77% of all AI patents filed over the past decade.
Since January 2023, 30 major insurers across North America and Europe have filed 166 AI patents, with filings still 30% below the 2020 peak despite increasing interest in generative AI for claims and customer service.
The tracker revealed that P&C insurers dominate AI patent activity, holding 89% of all filings. Their innovations often leverage telematics, IoT-driven risk monitoring and other sensor-based systems, which meet the technical contribution requirements for patent eligibility in both the US and Europe.
While generative AI patents surged from 4% to 31% of filings in 2023, agentic AI remains rare, with only three insurers, led by USAA, pursuing patents in this emerging field, the data showed.
Among notable applications, USAA is using generative AI to analyze aerial imagery for property damage assessment, while State Farm employs machine learning for claims triage and autonomous vehicle fault analysis. Allstate has developed an in-vehicle AI assistant to automate claims and interpretable AI for underwriting and document indexing, Liberty Mutual uses generative AI to produce release notes for engineering teams, and Zurich Insurance Group has created an AI system to standardize and clear user-typed addresses.
From an industry perspective, the concentration of AI patent filings underscores both competitive and strategic implications. Leading P&C insurers are leveraging intellectual property to safeguard investments in emerging AI technologies that could transform claims processing, underwriting, and customer engagement.
For smaller insurers, the patent gap signals a potential challenge in keeping pace with competitors deploying AI-driven operational efficiencies.
Evident noted that the insurance sector is now facing a critical decision on whether AI patents will remain the domain of a few frontrunners or evolve into a broader competitive tool.
As generative and agentic AI reshape the value chain, insurers will need to determine whether to adopt IP defensively or invest proactively to lead innovation across claims, risk management and customer experience.
