The conversations at the 2026 LIDMA Annual Conference reflected an industry focused on applying innovation in practical ways. Across discussions on artificial intelligence, accelerated underwriting, and customer outcomes, a consistent theme emerged: growth depends not only on reducing friction and increasing efficiency, but also on maintaining accountability, improving the customer experience, and delivering measurable business value.

Balancing AI Opportunity with Human Accountability

Artificial intelligence was a prominent theme at the conference, but the conversation was practical. Panelists discussed AI’s potential to support lead acquisition, connect prospective applicants with the agents best equipped to help them, improve underwriting and workflow efficiencies, reduce friction in the customer journey, and help newer agents build confidence and place cases more effectively.

Across these use cases, the clearest measure of value was straightforward: does the solution help place more cases while improving the experience for agents and customers?

While speakers were excited about the opportunities AI presents, that enthusiasm was balanced by concerns about cost, regulatory uncertainty, monitoring, and over-reliance on automated outputs. One session explored how insurance regulators' views on AI use are evolving, particularly the use of AI in decision-making and the continued need for human oversight. The consensus was that AI should enhance, not replace, human capabilities - improving efficiency and enabling personalization, but not replacing accountability for decisions that affect consumers.

To strike that balance, speakers recommended starting with a defined business problem or KPI, testing the approach, measuring the results, and then refining or scaling it rather than adopting AI for its own sake.

Accelerated Underwriting Is Reaching More Applicants

Carriers continue to broaden accelerated and exam-free pathways. Examples discussed included extending eligibility for face amounts up to $5 million, exam-free options for applicants ages 61–70 supported by clinical data, common applications that combine term and permanent workflows, and expanded criteria involving build, tobacco, credit, diabetes, and GLP-1 medications.

Together, these developments show that accelerated underwriting is expanding beyond the youngest and simplest applicants to include broader age ranges, higher face amounts, and more complex risk profiles.

Growth Is Bringing Persistency Back into Focus

Faster issuance and broader automation eligibility support profitable growth only when policies stay in force. Persistency shows whether the product, sales and underwriting processes, and customer experience remain aligned over time. As carriers expand accelerated pathways and introduce more digital interactions, they will need to carefully monitor not only placement and cycle time, but also policy retention and policyholder outcomes.

PSG Is Turning Underwriting Complexity into Actionable Guidance

As one of the founding sponsors of LIDMA, PSG hosts an annual breakout session highlighting how our solutions can help distributors compete in an increasingly automated environment, while balancing speed with accuracy and automation with human accountability.

• PSG eValuate
  Our powerful rules-based field underwriting tool now includes an AI-powered data capture assistant that supports free-form, interactive inquiries while keeping essential decisions grounded in carrier-defined rules to preserve quote accuracy.
  
  PSG works directly with carriers to refine, test, and approve their rules for inclusion in eValuate before production, helping deliver more reliable quotes while preserving each carrier’s underwriting approach.

• PSG eXpedite
  Our eSignature platform enables secure, streamlined electronic consent and signature workflows with clear audit trails - helping carriers and distributors reduce paper, avoid delays, and move applications forward with greater confidence.

Together, eValuate and eXpedite make carrier guidance easier to apply and the application journey easier to complete.

Looking Ahead

LIDMA 2026 reflected an industry embracing change and building momentum on several fronts. AI is becoming practical, accelerated underwriting is reaching more applicants, and persistency is returning to focus. The strongest strategies will balance innovation with human accountability, disciplined implementation, and customer value.