Season Kickoff Blog: GenAI in Insurance Distribution – Key Takeaways from Insurance Unplugged

As we launch into 2025, the first episode of Insurance Unplugged in the new year sets an inspiring tone for the transformative year ahead. Lisa Wardlaw sat down with Margeaux Giles , CEO of IRYS Insurtech , to explore groundbreaking trends, challenges, and actionable insights poised to redefine insurance distribution. Here’s a look at the core themes from this forward-focused kickoff.

Data Quality: The Foundation of AI Success

A recurring theme in the discussion was the central role of data quality. Giles emphasized a critical truth: AI is only as effective as the data it’s built on. While technology for data stewardship—like master data management (MDM)—has existed for decades, many organizations struggle to integrate these tools operationally. AI layered on poor data foundations perpetuates inefficiency and increases the risk of misinformation.

“Data at every touchpoint is the foundation of everything, but implementation is where it falls down.” - Margeaux Giles

"There was this common thread of data quality. Every guest talked about it, no matter if they were on the provider side, whether they were talking about mesh, whether they were in the hot seat, and doing the distribution on the insurance side. They all talked about data quality in one form or another. It really is the basis of everything" - Margeaux Giles

Key Insight: The industry must stop treating data quality as an optional add-on. Tools like IRYS embed data governance, MDM, and scoring as foundational—not optional—components.

Breaking Free from Pilot Purgatory

Another prominent challenge identified this season is what Giles calls “pilot purgatory.” Many organizations remain stuck in endless cycles of AI pilots, unable to scale initiatives.

"There is a lot of hype around AI, scaling, and implementing GPT. And then, it stays in pilot purgatory forever." - Margeaux Giles

This issue isn’t rooted in technology but in organizational mindsets. Executives often mandate AI implementation without preparing their businesses for the foundational work required. The result? Underwhelming pilots and stalled progress.

Key Insight: Organizations need a mindset shift toward velocity and bold action. Without this, AI’s potential will remain unrealized.

From Point Solutions to Comprehensive Platforms

The tension between point solutions and operational platforms is a critical decision point for the industry. Many organizations build ecosystems of fragmented tools—CRM systems, analytics dashboards, and bolt-on AI solutions—without considering how these tools work together.

"So over time, people have taken these individual tools like CRM, and have tried to expand them to what they are not." - Margeaux Giles

Giles challenged this approach, noting that CRMs like Salesforce and Dynamics were not designed for end-to-end operational processing. “Stop making a string of point solutions your actual solution,” she urged. Platforms like Irys aim to solve this by meshing decentralized data systems into a unified operational ecosystem.

Key Insight: To scale AI effectively, organizations must adopt platforms built for operational integration, not patchwork systems.

A Web3 Future: Immutable, Decentralized Data

The most forward-looking discussion centered on Web3 technologies, including decentralized databases and zero-knowledge proofs. While often dismissed as “crypto tech,” Web3 has transformative potential for AI and data exchange.

"We need this very high-velocity Web3 mesh construct if we do anything at scale with enterprise. If I'm looking at it in the long-term, how do I keep Irys and Irys's users in the most secure position we can keep them in? Web3 was that answer." - Margeaux Giles

Giles described Irys’s pioneering use of a decentralized, immutable mesh architecture as critical for scaling enterprise-grade AI. By leveraging Web3’s security and data lineage capabilities, Irys enables real-time, traceable, and high-velocity data exchange across the insurance value chain.

Key Insight: Web3 offers a secure, scalable infrastructure to support AI in insurance, redefining how data is exchanged and validated across organizations.

Leadership in a Rapidly Evolving Landscape

Finally, the episode underscored the importance of leadership and adaptability in navigating exponential change. With AI adoption accelerating, Giles emphasized the need for leaders to embrace uncertainty and rethink traditional hiring. “You won’t find 25 years of experience in AI,” she remarked. Instead, organizations must prioritize soft skills, curiosity, and agility.

"?So if you're hiring and looking for hard skills, you're in a bad spot. You've got to be looking for soft skills, and you've got to be looking for people in these roles who will not have the answer but are willing to find the answer. And that is a very different hiring technique." - Margeaux Giles

Key Insight: The future belongs to leaders willing to disrupt legacy systems and invest in continual innovation.

Start, Stop, Continue: Margo’s Call to Action

Giles left us with these actionable insights for 2025:

? Start: Realizing that standing still isn’t an option. Every decision leaves a mark—make it intentional.

? Stop: Building solutions from strings of fragmented point solutions. They’re costly and unsustainable.

? Continue: Solving problems for the ultimate customer: the insured. Data, platforms, and AI should serve this end goal.

Key Insight: Intentional action, unified solutions, and customer-centric innovation are critical for progress in 2025.

Looking Ahead to 2025

As we embark on a new year, the opportunities for AI in insurance distribution are immense. Giles hinted at exciting developments for Irys, including agentic AI, real-time data exchange, and embedded accounting solutions that prioritize transparency and value across the value chain.

The episode’s overarching lesson? AI isn’t just about technology—it’s about rethinking how the industry operates, collaborates, and serves its customers. With platforms like Irys leading the charge, 2025 is set to be a year of bold innovation and transformative growth.

Want to hear the full episode? Click here to listen to the season opener episode of "In the Hot Seat" from Insurance Unplugged with Margeaux Giles and host Lisa Wardlaw. Explore our entire season on AI, Accounting, Data, and Analytics series on Insurance Unplugged.

Thank you to IRYS Insurtech for sponsoring Insurance Unplugged this season.

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