Promises and Pitfalls: The Intersection of AI and Insurance with Marshall Gilinsky

Image of Marshall and Marc

Summary

In this episode of Chattinn Cyber, Marc Schein is chattin’ with Marshall Gilinsky, a partner at Anderson Kill, PC, focusing on the impact of artificial intelligence across various industries, particularly in insurance.

Marshall shares his background and explains how his interest in AI developed over time. He expresses his fascination with the technology, emphasizing its potential benefits and risks. Marshall believes that AI has the capacity to revolutionize numerous tasks and industries, but he also stresses the importance of understanding and regulating AI to ensure its safe and productive use.

The discussion then shifts to instances of AI misuse, where Marshall recounts a case involving a lawyer who relied solely on AI to draft legal briefs. This reliance led to significant failures and embarrassment for the lawyer, highlighting the need for caution and responsible use of AI to prevent similar mishaps in the future.

Mark inquires about the implications of AI for the insurance industry and seeks advice for policyholders. Marshall explains that while AI is a powerful new tool, it can both enhance and harm insurance operations. He notes that current insurance policies lack specific provisions for AI-related claims, advising policyholders to remain vigilant about potential risks associated with AI technologies.

The conversation progresses to the topic of AI regulations and future predictions. Marshall discusses the ongoing efforts by regulators to understand and ensure the safe development of AI. He emphasizes the necessity of balancing business interests with the protection of policyholders and investors. Although he acknowledges the challenges in making accurate predictions about AI’s future, he remains hopeful for conscientious engineering practices that prioritize safety and responsibility.

In closing, Mark thanks Marshall for his valuable insights and expresses interest in continuing the dialogue. Marshall appreciates the opportunity to discuss AI and mentions his ongoing learning and exploration in this rapidly evolving field. Overall, the episode underscores the importance of understanding and managing the risks and benefits associated with AI, particularly within the insurance sector.

Key Points

  1. Fascination with AI: Marshall expresses a deep interest in AI, highlighting its transformative potential across various industries. He emphasizes the need to understand both the benefits and risks associated with AI technologies.
  2. Cases of Misuse: The discussion includes real-world examples of AI misuse, such as a lawyer who relied solely on AI for drafting legal briefs, which resulted in failure. This underscores the importance of caution and responsible use of AI.
  3. Impact on Insurance: AI is described as a double-edged sword in the insurance industry. While it can enhance operations, it also poses risks. Marshall notes that current insurance policies often lack specific provisions for AI-related claims, urging policyholders to be aware of these potential risks.
  4. Need for Regulation: The conversation highlights the ongoing efforts by regulators to understand AI and ensure its safe development. Marshall stresses the importance of balancing business interests with the protection of policyholders and investors.
  5. Challenges in Prediction: Marshall acknowledges the difficulty in making accurate predictions about the future of AI. However, he expresses hope for responsible engineering practices that prioritize safety and ethical considerations.
  6. Continuous Learning: Ongoing education and exploration in the field of AI is important and reflects the rapidly evolving nature of the technology and its implications.
  7. Responsible Use: The conversation reinforces the need for a cautious approach to AI, advocating for responsible use to mitigate risks and maximize benefits in various applications, particularly in sensitive areas like insurance.

Key Quotes

  1. On Fascination with AI: “The potential for benefits to society from… using AI in all sorts of tasks across the world, economic, personal, etc., are mind boggling. While at the same time the potential for harm is of great concern.”
  2. On Misuse of AI: “There was a lawyer, who… relied exclusively on AI to draft some briefs. The chat bot basically wove the brief out of whole cloth, making up the facts and the law… It ends up being a magnificent failure.”
  3. On the Impact of AI in Insurance: “It just seems at this point to present as a new type of thing that can go wrong and lead to a very common sort of insurance problem.”
  4. On Regulation: “Everyone’s kind of learning together… businesses are trying to develop these tools in a way that enhances their operations and their profitability, and regulators are out there trying to make sure that it’s done in a way that’s safe.”
  5. On Predictions for AI’s Future: “I think there’s a lot of conscientious engineers out there that are trying to do things in a way that’s safe and productive… But we live in a capitalistic marketplace where there’s strong incentives to build the biggest, baddest, most productive thing you can.”
  6. On Continuous Learning: “I’m constantly talking to people to find out new things that are happening… because there’s constantly new things that are emerging all the time.”

About Our Guest

Marshall Gilinsky is a shareholder at Anderson Kill’s Boston office, specializing in Insurance Recovery and Commercial Litigation. He co-chairs the firm’s Sexual Harassment and Abuse Insurance Recovery Group and the Sports, Media, and Entertainment Group, while also being a member of the Banking and Lending Group and the Restaurant, Retail & Hospitality Group. With over 20 years of experience representing policyholders, Marshall has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars through successful litigation of complex insurance claims, including those related to high-profile events like 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and Superstorm Sandy. He also assists clients with captive insurance companies, focusing on resolving coverage disputes with reinsurers. Known for his deep understanding of clients’ businesses and insurance programs, Marshall frequently writes and lectures on insurance topics and is often quoted in major media outlets, including The New York Times and CNN.

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About Our Host

National co-chair of the Cyber Center for Excellence, Marc Schein, CIC,CLCS is also a Risk Management Consultant at Marsh McLennan. He assists clients by customizing comprehensive commercial insurance programs that minimize the burden of financial loss through cost effective transfer of risk. By conducting a Total Cost of Risk (TCoR) assessment, he can determine any gaps in coverage. As part of an effective risk management insurance team, Marc collaborates with senior risk consultants, certified insurance counselors, and expert underwriters to examine the adequacy of existing client programs and develop customized solutions to transfer risk, improve coverage and minimize premiums.

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Navigating the Cyber Landscape: Insights from Christiaan Durdaller

Summary

In this episode, Marc Schein is chattin’ with Christiaan Durdaller, a cyber expert and founder of an innovative wholesale brokerage in the cyber market. Christiaan chats about his journey into the cyber industry, highlighting the rise of cyber awareness in recent years due to high-profile data breaches.

Christiaan explains the difference between retail brokers and wholesale brokers. Retail brokers work directly with clients, while wholesale brokers partner with retail brokers to provide market access and expertise. Christiaan emphasizes the importance of collaboration and problem-solving in the wholesale brokerage industry.

The conversation then shifts to the success of Christiaan’s brokerage, which has consistently won awards in the cyber community. Christiaan attributes this success to the firm’s dedication to product development, innovation, and expertise in cyber insurance claims.

The chat also touches on a major merger that Christiaan’s brokerage is undergoing. Christiaan explains that the merger aims to combine the best aspects of both companies and create a unified team with a focus on collaboration and providing the best resources and services to clients.

Christiaan discusses some unique products offered by his brokerage, including a cyber access facility and a crime 360 facility. These products address specific risks in the marketplace and provide clients with broader coverage and higher limits. The chat concludes with a discussion on the current state of the cyber insurance market. Christiaan notes that the market is currently in a softening phase, with renewal rates decreasing and coverage broadening. However, he also highlights the rising attritional losses, non-breach privacy litigation, and the impact of systemic risks on the market.

Overall, this episode provides insights into Christiaan Durdaller’s journey in the cyber industry, the success of his brokerage, and the current trends and challenges in the cyber insurance market.

Key Quotes

  • “I was working at a law firm at the time, personal lines, insurance, defense, and looked at Cyber and said, this is interesting. This is something worth investing in. Not a lot of people are investing in it today. It’s a Fortune 50, Fortune 100 product, generally speaking. Let’s figure out a way to create change. It was really exciting for me and it’s been exciting since.”
  • “There are a lot of folks out there with claims experts and talent, but very few that have the expertise of a cyber dedicated wholesale broken claims unit. It’s something we’re super proud of.”
  • “We want to make larger limits available to them and make it available to them quick. We’ve got a lot of clients out there, as an example, who are in a class of business who can only procure 2 million or 3 million on a primary basis in limits. And you know, we’ve got to get support for them to build what their contracts require, to build what the risk models are saying that they should carry.”
  • “Change is coming … It’s only a matter of time.”

Key Takeaways

  1. Importance of Collaboration in Wholesale Brokerage. Christiaan emphasizes the importance of collaboration between wholesale brokers and retail brokers to provide market access, expertise, and solutions to clients. This collaborative approach helps address the specific needs of clients in the cyber insurance market.
  2. Merger and Unified Team. The merger discussed in the conversation aims to combine the strengths of two companies and create a unified team. This unified team will focus on collaboration, providing the best resources, and delivering consistent services to clients.
  3. Market Trends and Challenges. The conversation touches upon the current state of the cyber insurance market, including the softening market conditions, broadening coverage, rising attritional losses, and the impact of systemic risks. These trends pose challenges and opportunities for insurers and require adaptation and innovation in product offerings and risk management strategies.
  4. Innovation and Product Development. Christiaan emphasizes the importance of innovation and product development in the cyber insurance market. He discusses the unique products offered by his brokerage, such as the cyber access facility and the crime 360 facility, which address specific risks and provide broader coverage options. This highlights the need for continuous innovation and the development of tailored solutions to meet the evolving needs of clients in the cyber insurance industry.

About Our Guest

As President and CEO of INSUREtrust’s, Christiaan focuses on their Cyber Secure Platform, products, and overarching strategy. As a key part of their leadership team, Christiaan strategizes to help ensure that INSUREtrust products, services, and solutions stay ahead of the market and competition. His team was recognized internationally by Zywave as the 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 Cyber Brokering Team of the Year. In 2018, Christiaan was recognized by the industry as the Cyber Risk Industry Person of the Year (USA) and 2020, 2021 and 2022 saw Christiaan recognized by Insurance Business America as a Top Specialist Broker. Since 2021, Christiaan has been a part of the Forbes Business Council due to his forward-thinking leadership within the cyber space.

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About Our Host

National co-chair of the Cyber Center for Excellence, Marc Schein, CIC,CLCS is also a Risk Management Consultant at Marsh McLennan. He assists clients by customizing comprehensive commercial insurance programs that minimize the burden of financial loss through cost effective transfer of risk. By conducting a Total Cost of Risk (TCoR) assessment, he can determine any gaps in coverage. As part of an effective risk management insurance team, Marc collaborates with senior risk consultants, certified insurance counselors, and expert underwriters to examine the adequacy of existing client programs and develop customized solutions to transfer risk, improve coverage and minimize premiums.

Follow Our Host:

Website | LinkedIn