What's different about an AI virtual inspection?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is gaining popularity and is quickly becoming integrated across all industries. For insurance, AI serves various purposes including claims processing, underwriting, and customer service. It also assists insurers in crafting personalized policies, automating the underwriting process, and offering more precise estimates to customers. This is made possible by the ubiquity of mobile technology facilitating virtual inspections. AI goes hand in hand with virtual inspections, but how does this new type of inspection differ from a traditional inspection?
Virtual inspections are typically done with a homeowner’s cell phone camera, quickly capturing the loss location and evidence of the loss. This differs from a traditional inspection, where the homeowner must wait for an adjuster to come to their house and inspect the loss. While not all inspections can be thoroughly examined virtually, most high volume/low severity claims can be captured by a homeowner following the instructions of an app or desk adjuster.
Virtual inspections also offer still image and video documentation of the loss, which when paired with AI detection software, can provide the homeowner with a faster estimate and streamlined repair. The documentation of the loss can be used not only for measuring dimensions and an estimate for repair but also as a tool to measure progress during the repair process. By using virtual inspection software during every stage of repair it validates and reinforces the AI’s knowledge on the repair timeline, cost and quality.
Both artificial intelligence and virtual inspection still require a human touch. During a virtual inspection, AI can do the full scope of the loss including damage narrative, loss scope line items, and integrate with estimating systems, saving the adjuster 50% of the time when writing a scope and creating an estimate.
This differs from traditional inspections where an adjuster must visit the site in person, document the loss and write a report from scratch. If the virtual inspection is run by a desk adjuster, guiding the homeowner, it creates the perfect scenario. An experienced adjuster will run the virtual inspection, asking the right questions to make sure the homeowner is displaying everything necessary to evaluate the damage. The desk adjuster will also double-check the work of the AI once the scope is written. A critical benefit of virtual inspections is that the desk adjuster can be anywhere – it is not necessary for them to be at the claim site. They also provide the human touch courtesy, engagement and trust building. AI is a support tool for the adjuster, facilitating a faster, accurate estimate.
High volume, low severity claims are the best use case for AI virtual inspections. The AI learns with every claim it scopes, so over time it will get better and faster at creating estimates for common claims. Conversely, complex claims are more likely to require the inspection be on-site and conducted by an adjuster. This is true for inspections that require analysis to be done beyond the homeowners’ capability or mobility. It is important to recognize the diversity of claimants. Not all insureds are capable of participating in an inspection, virtual inspections are not absolute.
AI virtual inspections differ from traditional inspections in speed and accuracy. While the traditional way of inspecting a loss seems more comprehensive, the combination of the in-person adjuster using the AI virtual inspection is the perfect solution. An experienced adjuster that harnesses technology, provides the best overall claims experience.
While it may seem like in-person inspections are more comprehensive, the aging workforce of experienced adjusters will prove this theory wrong. As top adjusters retire or move to fully remote work, virtual inspections will offer the perfect solution for qualified talent to use their years of expertise.
See more:Claims technology: How is the industry adapting?Trends in liability claims litigation: Sedgwick
