A national survey commissioned by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America found that 87% of consumers said having a dedicated human insurance agent remains important even as companies accelerate AI adoption.
The survey, conducted by Mfour Data Research, also found 61% of consumers are more likely to choose an agent who uses AI and modern technology, pointing to a preference for combining the two rather than choosing between them.
Charles Symington, the Big "I"'s president and CEO, said the results reflect what consumers actually want from an agent relationship.
"This survey confirms that consumers want to deal with a trusted adviser when they shop for insurance coverage. AI can speed up the process, but it can't replace what an independent agent brings: market access, deep product knowledge and a relationship built over time," Symington said.
Roughly two-thirds of respondents, or 67%, said they view AI positively when it's used to identify coverage gaps, answer questions faster or improve service, and the largest share of that group, or 39%, said their support depends on a human professional staying involved in the process.
That preference sharpens considerably during high-stakes moments: when asked about accidents, storms or significant claims, just 6% of consumers said they would rely on AI alone.
Phone calls remained the top preferred channel for routine updates and questions, cited by 28% of respondents, ahead of email at 23% and text messaging at 21%. Respondents said AI adds the most value in narrower tasks -- comparing quotes, answering general questions and providing claim status updates, rather than handling complex decisions.
The Big "I" findings tracked closely with separate consumer AI research published earlier this year.
Insurity's February 2026 survey of more than 1,000 US adults found consumer comfort with AI varies sharply by task type, with 46% comfortable letting AI generate a quote but just 16% comfortable with AI deciding on policy renewals or cancellations, and only 22% comfortable with AI filing a claim on their behalf. That same survey found only about a third of consumers trust AI-driven insurance decisions outright.
A separate ERGO NEXT survey of small business owners found a similar pattern in reverse: 94% of entrepreneurs who used AI to research business insurance said they trusted the information, but most still turned to a human agent for anything beyond initial research.
Kevin Brandt, executive director of Trusted Choice, framed the takeaway for agents directly.
"As AI advances within the industry and becomes more broadly integrated into our daily lives, agents must make sure their customers get speed and convenience without losing the personal guidance and expertise that matters most. Consumers are not choosing between technology and personal service, they increasingly expect both," Brandt said.
The survey's consumer-side findings sit against a notably slower pace of AI adoption on the agency side.
Insurance Business previously reported that a separate Big "I" Agents Council for Technology study found two-thirds of independent agencies plan to increase AI use in the next year, but only 8% currently have it embedded in daily workflows, and 55% have no written AI policy at all. That gap between stated client expectations, wanting an agent who uses modern technology, and actual agency implementation is a structural tension this survey doesn't resolve on its own.
Looking ahead, consumers' biggest concern about AI's growing role over the next five years was losing the ability to work with a trusted insurance professional, cited by roughly a third of respondents, followed by data privacy concerns and worry about AI errors on a policy or claim. Respondents were split on whether agents using AI would serve them better in five years: 38% said better, 26% said worse, 21% expected no real change, and the remainder were unsure.
For agents deciding how aggressively to adopt AI tools, the survey suggests the safest approach is deploying automation for narrow, well-defined tasks, quoting, status updates, general questions, while keeping a human clearly positioned as the point of contact for claims, major losses and coverage decisions, exactly the moments consumers said they trust AI least.
Given how far agency-side AI adoption still lags what clients say they want, agents who can visibly demonstrate they're using modern tools without removing themselves from the process may have a genuine differentiation opportunity, particularly since 19% of respondents said faster response times alone would make them more likely to stick with their current agent.
