Thread regarding State Farm Insurance layoffs

It’s a newly emerging field. It’s way too early to have any definitive answers, or to assume most companies aren’t looking at it.

Any large corporation that isn’t looking at it and considering how it might help, is just foolish.

Sure, they should look at it. But the problem is that most companies don't look at it. They hire some consultant who realizes that AI is a glossy new term that will attract dollars (much like SOA or Micro-services before it), but in the case of AI, the vast majority of business applications are tantamount to vaporwear with no real intelligence.

So, in point of fact, most companies would be better off if they didn't look at it, unless they truly have the ability to look a consultant i the eye and know when he's selling a bill of goods.

If you just heard it, then it’s not a secret. Probably not accurate, either. But let’s be real for a moment. AI is being talked about everywhere. Any large corporation that isn’t looking at it and considering how it might help, is just foolish.

It's more accurate to say that AI does not exist than it is to say AI needs the cloud. The former is only a little wrong, but the latter is completely wrong.

Please. AI requires the cloud and given all the transformation, we’re still scared sh--less of that. What we really need an AI to do is go through the vendor management, legal, and risk processes.

We are already using artificial intelligence. Its called leadership.

Yep. The softest of the Soft AIs. Siri is more intelligent than Tipsord.

We are already using artificial intelligence. Its called leadership.

ILR work is can be sub out to India or the Philippines call center workers before implementation of AI.

Claims executives myopic focus is to get work done as fast as possible with as little human interaction as possible. They do not care about the customer experience. If they tell you they do it’s entirely lip service. You can only have one master and they will drool over the promise of reduced clicks. Efficiency at all costs is the mantra. Almost feels like the company has made the decision to indirectly punish customers who file claims by connecting them with the lowest common denominator that can “help” them. That’s a good model if you are building widgets in a factory. Our executives have forgotten that the widgets you are churning out are the policyholders who come to us in a time of need.

Having said that there is no way in my lifetime that claims will successfully execute AI for loss intake. They will continue to drive automation and reduce human interaction to the extent they can and they will use the buzzwords they hear from the vendors. It is common place for vendors to wave something shiny in front of executives. Executives who have no idea about the mess they have already created nor do they care to understand it. They bark dates and say faster...faster..... it’s for our customer!

They are setting us up for failure again. So and so executive promised Chairman’s council that X would be delivered by Y date. It’s an all out sxxt show behind the curtains.

State Farm you have (had) a valuable asset in your “everyday Joe” workers. Workers that were loyal and really did care and want to fight the good fight for State Farm. Employees who would step up and point you in the right direction. Instead you beat the life out of them. Well done. So much for servant leadership.

What scares me is that you are jeopardizing my workplace safety. I don’t feel safe. I’m afraid of the real potential of “that guy” who sits in the basement muttering to himself with his red stapler.

I think some definitions here might help, as artificial intelligence is a term that many don't fully understand, and this ambiguity makes it easy for IBM and other companies to use it in largely vacuous marketing campaigns.

HARD AI -- ALSO CALLED TRUE AI: This is a general intelligence at least as flexible and adaptable as the human mind that can solve a nearly unlimited array of problems. This does NOT exist at present, outside of science fiction.

SOFT AI A type of AI in which there is no true intelligence or awareness that is generally focused on one specific task. Examples of this are so broad and varied that a general definition is almost useless.

MACHINE LEARNING* A type of SOFT AI. Ideally, this type of intelligence can be given a goal and can proactively seek out new and innovative solutions until the goal is obtained. This does exist in the real world, but only in an EXTREMELY limited fashion. For example, in the laboratory, an AI was given the task of running up the score on a video game and found new and interesting ways to score points that it had never been expressly taught.

Marketing AI: Unfortunately, this is where we are in the business world for the vast majority of so-called AI applications. Most of the tasks for which a business would like to use machine learning are presently too complicated for them to be distilled into a simple goal and turned over to an intelligence to pursue solutions without human intervention. In many cases, this marketing AI is merely a marketing buzzword attached to various data analytics packages. There may be some "learning" involved, but the human interaction is a built-in part of the process and the so-called AI generally can't do much of anything on its own.

Maybe one day. Not now, in most cases.

I’m the previous commenter: just to clarify when I said Yes the newer cars have advanced systems, I didn’t mean to sound like Yes the rumors are true , I have no idea just saying it is something that could be possible with the technology these days.

It’s not that unimaginable.

No one said it was unimaginable.

But I wouldn't call any of that true AI, at least not as described. What I would call it is an orchestrated system of computer programs that detect damage, make a phone call (or some other type of connection) and provide an automated report.

Yes your newer cars of today have advanced systems. Have you seen the recent commercial where a car has communicated for the person who swerved off the road ? The commercial said something along the line stay calm help is on the way. The car notified of the accident not the human. Same principle with reporting insurance. With the right program your car of the future can report its own accident, even give details analysis of the damages. For example air bags blown, seat belts deployed. It’s not that unimaginable. But of course humans will still be involved in claims etc, but this post was about initial loss reporting.

Ugh.. another azzhat that has fallen for the marketing hype surrounding AI. I mourn for the intelligence of my species.

One day we might get a true Artificial Intelligence. We are not there yet, outside of the laboratory. What we do have right now are companies attaching the terms "AI" and "Machine Learning" to myriad software suites because it sells to business wallets who don't know any better.

Having seen some of these products from the inside, I can tell you that right now it's 95% hype.

What was said is that AI is a marketing buzzword. It certainly is. And in general, when a consulting company uses the word "AI," what they really mean is something completely different than what one would expect.

Again, all of that is true.

It was also stated that there was no commercially available product for the insurance industry that performed anything close to the traditional definition of AI. That's also true.

Unless you'd care to provide the name of the product?

Please don't say Watson.

In any case, none of these AIs can do anything at present without complicated human intervention in the life cycle. That's just a fact.

To the know it all that says AI IS not being used. Try Google Zurich using AI to settle BI claims. Love the azzhats on hear that know notin bout notin.

I realize AI is mostly a garbage buzzword, but you're presumably human, right? What's your excuse?

To the know it all that says AI IS not being used. Try Google Zurich using AI to settle BI claims. Love the azzhats on hear that know notin bout notin.

AI is a buzzword. I think people use the term to mean "program".

Bots may do some of the work. But, hard to imagine the entire processes being taken over by computers. Customer servicing needs are so varied.

AI is a myth, at least from an insurance perspective. Yes, companies like Google are doing interesting things with deep learning. But no, there is not currently any commercial product on the market for the insurance industry that is true AI in the sense that most people think of it.

For example, IBM's Watson is about the furthest thing from AI I've ever seen. It's straight up garbage.

Right now, AI is a marketing buzzword. That's it.

Sure. The idiots who can’t develop a fully functional mobile app that is remotely close to their competition’s are going to use AI for claim handling.

Nothing to lose

So you hear a "secret" and come to an anonymous site to ask if it's true? OK sure it's true, believe me!!!