As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in insurance operations, carriers and managing general agents (MGAs) face a familiar challenge: finding answers they can trust.

That was the central theme of a recent webinar introducing ReferenceConnect AI, Vertafore’s AI-powered enhancement to its long-established insurance knowledge system. Rather than relying on public internet sources, the solution is designed to deliver answers grounded in trusted insurance content, helping underwriting, claims, and product teams make faster, more consistent, and defensible decisions.

Beyond speed: Trust matters

Generic AI tools can provide quick responses, but insurance decisions require more than speed. Underwriting guidelines, policy language, regulatory requirements, and claims decisions all demand transparency and source validation.

ReferenceConnect AI addresses this by allowing users to ask questions in natural language while citing the underlying insurance publications and carrier-approved content that inform each response. Users can verify answers through linked source materials, supporting a “trust but verify” approach that keeps human expertise at the center of the decision-making process.

Supporting the entire policy lifecycle

The webinar demonstrated how AI can assist professionals across multiple stages of the insurance lifecycle.

For new underwriters, the platform serves as an on-demand knowledge resource, helping speed up onboarding while reducing reliance on institutional knowledge. More experienced underwriters can use conversational AI to evaluate submissions, identify underwriting considerations, and even generate follow-up communications requesting additional information from agents.

Claims professionals can leverage the same experience to review policy language, evaluate relevant exclusions, and reference applicable legal precedents, helping support more thorough and defensible coverage determinations.

Measurable operational benefits

According to Vertafore’s early customer testing, users were able to locate key information up to 80% faster than with traditional keyword-based searches, while maintaining confidence through source-backed responses.

The broader value extends beyond efficiency. Organizations can improve consistency across teams, reduce dependence on tribal knowledge, and provide employees with a common, trusted foundation for decision-making.

Looking ahead

Vertafore also previewed upcoming enhancements, including expanded conversational capabilities, AI-powered access to ReferenceConnect data tools such as VIN and Protection Class lookups, hybrid AI and keyword search results, integrating published carrier content with AI search capabilities, and a modernized user interface. Future releases are also expected to incorporate carrier-specific proprietary content into AI-generated responses, allowing organizations to surface their own underwriting guidelines and documentation alongside industry resources.

As AI adoption continues across the insurance industry, the focus is shifting from simply generating answers to delivering answers that are explainable, verifiable, and aligned with the unique demands of insurance operations. For carriers and MGAs, that distinction may ultimately determine where AI delivers the greatest business value.

To see ReferenceConnect AI in action and explore the full discussion, watch the complete webinar on-demand.