DXC Technology – Agentic AI: The end of business as usual

The insurance industry is undergoing a profound transformation driven by Agentic AI — a new class of autonomous, intelligent agents capable of perceiving context, making decisions, acting independently, and learning continuously.

Unlike traditional AI tools that require human prompting, Agentic AI agents operate across workflows and systems, enabling real-time execution, precision, and scalability.

In this whitepaper, author Bill Pieroni, head of global strategy and growth for Insurance Software & Business Process Services at DXC technology, argues that this shift marks a structural break from previous digitalisation efforts.

Agentic AI is not a single solution but a network of specialized agents that orchestrate complex processes across internal functions and external ecosystems.

Pieroni suggests that five core elements define its operation: autonomous agents, contextual data and knowledge, varying levels of autonomy, orchestration across systems, and iterative learning.

However, most insurers face a significant barrier to adoption: capability debt. This refers to accumulated inefficiencies in technology, organizational structure, and processes resulting from years of short-term fixes.

Such debt limits strategic flexibility and operational adaptability, making it difficult to scale Agentic AI effectively. The industry is at a strategic inflection point.

Traditional metrics like return on capital are giving way to return per decision, emphasising execution speed and accuracy.

Agentic AI enables insurers to process underwriting, claims, and customer service tasks at near-zero marginal cost, shifting the basis of competition toward autonomous awareness, precision, and speed.

To prepare for deployment, insurers must align across five enterprise enablers: strategic goals, organizational readiness, governance and risk management, workflow design and data infrastructure.

Success requires not only technical integration but also cultural adaptability and executive commitment.

Live implementations have already demonstrated measurable improvements in cost reduction, cycle time, throughput, and customer outcomes across both Life and P&C insurance.

These results suggest that Agentic AI offers a scalable, adaptive operating model that can redefine how insurers compete and create value.

The paper advises that Agentic AI is not an incremental upgrade — it is a foundational shift. Insurers that act decisively will lead the next era of transformation, while those that delay risk falling behind in cost, relevance, and growth.

Download the whitepaper