Topic: Brokers vs bots: can brokers survive ChatGPT distribution?

Writer: Fiona Nicolson (fiona.nicolson@googlemail.com)

Deadline: Friday 17 April  

Within 24 hours of launch of the world’s first ChatGPT insurance app, share prices of major brokers including Aon, Willis Towers Watson, Marsh, Brown & Brown and Gallagher fell sharply, reflecting investor concerns about the potential disruption to traditional distribution models.

The app’s creators said the reaction underscored how seriously markets are taking the emergence of a new “interaction layer” within large language models.

•  How are brokers adapting as tools like ChatGPT begin to handle comparison, recommendation and even placement?
•  What can brokers do to prove they are more valuable than ever?
•  What does the future of insurance distribution look like when conversational AI becomes a primary customer interface rather than a supplementary channel?

Topic: Cosmetic crackdown set to reshape aesthetics underwriting

Writer: Rachel Gordon (rachelcgordon@hotmail.com)

Deadline: Friday 17 April  

Ministers are seeking tighter restrictions and inspections for high-risk cosmetic procedures.

How will the reforms impact insurer appetite, pricing, capacity and treatment-specific liability requirements, particularly as the proposed national licensing regime takes shape?

• How will tighter regulation affect underwriting appetite across different types of cosmetic procedures and providers?
• Could increased scrutiny lead to significant repricing or withdrawal of capacity in higher-risk segments of the aesthetics market?
• How might a national licensing regime change claims frequency, liability exposure and risk selection for insurers?

Topic: Protecting luxury handbags

Writer: Tim Evershed (mail@timevershed.co.uk)

Deadline: Friday 17 April  

Luxury handbags have firmly established themselves as a serious alternative asset class, driven by scarcity, craftsmanship and global demand.

However, as values rise, so too does the importance of specialist advice, valuation accuracy and appropriate insurance protection.

• How do these high-value assets require the same strategic thinking and risk management as any other investment class, and where do current insurance products fall short?
• How should insurers and brokers approach valuation risk in a market where secondary prices fluctuate rapidly?
• What are the biggest gaps in coverage for high-value personal collections such as luxury handbags?
• How can clients better integrate insurance, storage and authentication into a coherent risk management strategy?

Topic: Why the regulators are turning their focus to MGAs

Writer: Marcel Le Gouais (marcellegouais81@yahoo.co.uk)

Deadline: Friday 17 April  

As MGAs continue to grow in scale and influence, regulators are asking tougher questions about oversight, capacity and customer outcomes.

This feature will explore why the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority are increasing scrutiny of MGAs, focusing on concerns around governance, delegated authority, underwriting discipline and accountability for customer outcomes. 

• With many MGAs operating at arm’s length from capacity providers, are regulators worried about a disconnect between risk and control?
• What specific issues should the FCA and PRA focus on?
• Have some MGAs grown too quickly for their control frameworks? 
• How are insurers being held accountable for delegated underwriting decisions?
• Could this scrutiny slow the growth of the delegated authority model or simply professionalise them further?