Solving data complexity for insurers: A modern approach

Insurers are keen to unlock the power of AI, but many remain constrained by complex and fragmented data estates. Years of system change and legacy decisions make it difficult to understand how data is sourced, transformed and reconciled - exactly the foundations required for AI to scale safely. This article explores how multi‑agent intelligence can reduce that complexity and help build trusted, transparent data foundations. 

The challenge 

Data estates in insurance are expanding at a pace most organisations struggle to keep up with. Legacy platforms sit alongside cloud‑native systems, external data arrives in multiple formats, and critical information flows through underwriting, pricing, claims and finance. Yet many teams still rely on manual discovery, spreadsheets and institutional knowledge to understand where data originates, how it transforms and whether it can be trusted.  

Compounding the challenge is that existing data governance tools, while valuable, are inherently limited. They act as repositories for policies, glossaries and lineage but depend on people to manually maintain them. As a result, they become static, incomplete and quickly outdated, often reflecting what should be true rather than what is actually happening across systems. 

A new frontier 

Recent advances in AI, particularly multi‑agent systems capable of reading code, interpreting logs, linking schemas and generating structured reasoning, are opening a new frontier. Instead of asking humans to repeatedly hunt for fields, rewrite mappings or trace lineage through decades of change, we now have the capability to automate the “heavy lifting” that traditionally consumed teams and resources. 

Discover your data is an XPS solution that helps organisations quickly and transparently understand how their data is structured, connected and used. It uses specialised agents to automate key activities such as discovery, lineage, metadata enrichment, data quality assessment and harmonisation. It works alongside existing governance tools like Collibra and Informatica, it enhances current capabilities without requiring replacement. The platform generates clear, human readable explanations of how conclusions were reached, turning AI from a black box into a glass box where reasoning is fully auditable (see accompanying box, Discover your data - solution overview). 

The benefits for teams are practical and immediate. Underwriting and operations teams gain visibility of where their data sits and how it flows, without relying on scarce technical SMEs. Data governance and risk teams gain a continuously updated picture of lineage, data quality and mapping decisions, enabling stronger oversight and easier assurance. Finance, actuarial and reporting functions benefit from consistent, reconciled data that is easily traceable back to its source. 

Experts adding value where it counts 

Perhaps the most meaningful shift is cultural. Historically, data teams have spent significant time 'doing': mapping fields, tracing issues, reconciling inconsistencies and documenting definitions. AI now enables organisations to rebalance roles, so teams focus less on manual production and more on validation, interpretation and decision‑making. 

By shifting labour‑intensive discovery work to AI, teams can focus on reviewing, validating and making decisions. This creates a data environment that is faster, safer and more resilient, with the trust and transparency needed for a market that increasingly relies on high‑quality, well‑governed data.