How Optimum Life Re Built Underwriter Trust and Operationalized AI for Measurable Impact

Successfully adopting AI in insurance isn't just about selecting the right technology, it's about creating the right conditions for change. For Optimum Life Re, a leading life reinsurer, the path to AI adoption started with a clear goal: improve underwriting efficiency without compromising quality.

The stakes were high. Medical record reviews had become a growing burden for underwriters, with volumes increasing and complexity compounding. Like many insurers, Optimum Life Re needed a solution that could structure and surface critical medical insights faster, without disrupting well-established workflows. But they also knew that bringing in AI alone wouldn’t guarantee success. Gaining underwriter confidence would be just as important as the tool itself.

The Bigger Picture: Why AI Adoption in Insurance Requires More Than Just Tech

According to a 2024 Boston Consulting Group survey, 74% of companies struggle to achieve and scale value during AI adoption. Adopting any new technology is challenging, but in an industry like insurance—where processes have remained largely unchanged for decades—it can be even harder. Life insurance underwriters, in particular, are not typically known for embracing change. Many may feel hesitant or even distrustful of AI.

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Some worry that AI will replace them. Others fear they’ll be blamed for errors in an AI’s output. These concerns are valid and, if not addressed, they can lead to resistance or outright avoidance. Even the best technology in the world is useless if people don’t trust it and won’t use it.

That’s why successful AI adoption in insurance requires more than just the tech itself. Organizational resistance, unclear use cases, and lack of communication can stall adoption, prevent scale, and stop companies from realizing real value.

The Strategic Rollout: Building Buy-In, Step by Step

Successfully adopting AI requires a cultural shift. It's something that must be built with the underwriters involved in the transition, not forced upon them. For organizations like Optimum Life Re, the key to success was in creating the right environment for change. Here’s how they approached their rollout of DigitalOwl’s AI solutions among their underwriters:

1. Start with a small team of early adopters
Rather than imposing a top-down mandate, Optimum Life Re identified a small group of change-oriented underwriters willing to test and provide feedback on DigitalOwl’s platform. These users became internal champions, helping to influence others through peer trust rather than policy.
Benefit: Builds internal credibility and creates organic momentum through trusted voices.

2. Embrace hands-on, responsive training
AI can be intimidating, especially when it impacts core responsibilities. To combat this, Optimum Life Re embraced DigitalOwl’s tailored onboarding and support. Training was structured, practical, and based on real-time feedback, so underwriters could understand both how to use the tool and why it mattered.
‍Benefit: Reduces uncertainty and accelerates comfort with new technology.

3. Amplify success stories from peers
Nothing builds trust like proof. As early adopters began seeing measurable time savings, they shared their experiences with colleagues. According to Jean-Marc Fix, VP of Research and Development at Optimum Life Re, "Once people saw the time savings for themselves, adoption became much easier."
Benefit: Converts anecdotal wins into persuasive evidence that drives wider adoption.

4. Address AI skepticism directly
Optimum Life Re proactively acknowledged the inherent skepticism some underwriters had toward AI, especially around "noise" or extraneous flagged information. They educated users on how the AI was intended to support, not replace, their judgment, and encouraged them to review a few cases in greater detail at the start. This helped shift the mindset from “AI should be 100% perfect” to “AI should be accurate where it counts.” As a result, underwriters stayed focused on decision-critical insights instead of getting sidetracked by occasional irrelevant details.
Benefit: Builds trust and aligns user expectations with real-world application.

5. Align management support with adoption goals
Finally, leadership played a crucial role. Underwriters were assured they wouldn’t be penalized for relying on the system if there was a mistake. That psychological safety made it easier for teams to adopt the tool without fear of being blamed if something was missed.
Benefit: Encourages experimentation and reinforces a culture of innovation without fear.

Achieving Sustained Impact

This approach to onboarding and adoption allowed Optimum Life Re to successfully implement DigitalOwl’s AI across their underwriting teams, enabling them to realize the full value of the technology. By adopting DigitalOwl’s advanced AI effectively, Optimum Life Re achieved the following:

• A 39% reduction in first-review underwriting time
• A 69% reduction in second-review underwriting time
• A 13% annual cost savings on reviewed cases
  

“The fact that DigitalOwl is now just a part of our underwriters’ daily workflow without question is a huge victory. They’re not a group that embraces change easily—it has to show real value. And it did,” said Jean-Marc Fix, VP of Research and Development, Optimum Life Re.

To learn how Optimum Life Re streamlined their underwriting processes and reduced costs with DigitalOwl, download the case study today.