While 88 percent of respondents prefer human assistance for insurance advice, interest in AI is rising as people look for simpler solutions, according to a survey released by UserTesting, an SaaS research and insights provider.

The global survey of 4,000 adults across the UK, U.S. and Australia on consumer experiences with insurance and artificial intelligence (AI), conducted by Talker Research, found that 56 percent of respondents would rather deal with common life annoyances — like sitting in traffic (10 percent), living with their parents again (19 percent), or attending a concert of an artist they don’t like (24 percent) — than go through the complexity of insurance enrollment.

Consumers across the U.S., UK and Australia continue to view insurance as complex and challenging, yet there are opportunities for growth through technology.

Many respondents would rather deal with unrelated annoyances than tackle insurance complexities.

• 13 percent of Americans would prefer sitting in traffic, compared to 9 percent of Brits and Australians.
• 14 percent of Americans would listen to one song on repeat for a year, compared to 12 percent of Brits and Australians.
• 22 percent of Americans would live with their parents again, compared to 18 percent of Brits and Australians.

Although many feel confident about what they are insured for, choosing the right provider remains a challenge — 65 percent of Americans, 68 percent of Brits and 60 percent of Australians feel confident about their coverage, yet they struggle to choose the best insurance provider.

Americans feel most confident about health (78 percent) and auto (75 percent) insurance. Brits are most familiar with home (75 percent) and auto (68 percent) insurance. Australians are most confident in auto (72 percent) and health (69 percent) insurance.

Americans feel least informed about home (61 percent) and pet (49 percent) insurance. Brits lack knowledge about pet (53 percent) and dental (44 percent) coverage. Australians feel least confident about dental (42 percent) and pet (41 percent) insurance.

Despite feeling confident about their coverage, consumers still encounter significant issues navigating the insurance landscape, the survey found.

• Lack of clarity on coverage details affected 27 percent of Americans, 28 percent of Brits and 32 percent of Australians.
• Unnoticed premium increases impact 24 percent of Americans, 23 percent of Brits and 27 percent of Australians.
• Complicated claims processes are a challenge for 20 percent of Americans and 23 percent of Brits and Australians.

Despite current preferences for human advisors, AI is seen as a promising tool for simplifying insurance decisions.

Today, 36 percent of U.S. and UK respondents and 25 percent of Australians find AI helpful for understanding complex insurance information.

Looking forward, 45 percent of Australians believe AI can assist with comparing insurance plans, with similar trends in the UK (39 percent) and U.S. (33 percent).

“Consumers want easy and transparent insurance processes,” said Bee Nookala, principal marketing manager, Insurance Solutions at UserTesting. “While human advisors remain critical, AI offers insurers a way to help customers navigate complex policies more efficiently, provided human support is always an option when needed.”

This survey complements findings from UserTesting’s previous studies on AI in industries such as healthcare and retail, highlighting a growing trend of AI adoption across sectors.