TECHNOLOGY
WHERE INDEPENDENT AGENTS ACTUALLY STAND WITH AI by Kasey Connors, Big I ACT
Independent agents control 61.5 % of the P & C market – but the AI gap between carriers and agencies is widening fast. Here ' s what the data shows about where the channel is, and where it isn ' t.
WHAT THE AGENTS COUNCIL FOR TECHNOLOGY TRENDS REPORT SHOWS
Independent agents are engaged with AI – nearly twothirds plan to increase use over the next 12 months. But engagement and execution are different things. The channel is in motion, but most agencies haven ' t yet translated interest into workflow-level impact.
WHERE AI USE IS CONCENTRATED
Among agencies that report using AI, usage is heavily concentrated at the baseline – consumer tools applied to general tasks. Phase 2 of ACT ' s Agency AI Labs( which included 489 registrants, 320 self-reporting current use) reflects the broader channel accurately: a lot of activity at the edges, not yet in the engine room.
TWO PHASES IN- WHAT WE ' RE LEARNING
ACT ' s Agency AI Labs is the independent channel ' s most active AI education program. Phase 1 launched June 2026; Phase 2( Growth & Operations) ran through August. Together, they ' re the closest thing to a live read on where member agencies actually stand with AI.
Two five- and four-session series, six months apart, aimed at moving independent agencies from general
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