Technology must simply be one of the ways we create a seamless and positive customer experience.

Here are the areas companies need to focus on in 2019 to be ahead of the competition when it comes to AI, according to the consulting firm PwC.

Chief data scientist Joseph Byrum discusses recruitment and making the business case for advanced data applications.

The insurance industry is a leader in having a shared digital vision to meet digital business aspirations, but there is much to be done, when it comes to rethinking the business model and institutionalizing digital capabilities.

A research group run by employees from technology companies including Google and Microsoft Corp. called for more regulation of facial recognition and other artificial intelligence tools.

Whether it is public, private or a hybrid mix, cloud adoption is now widespread, but most organizations still lack a formal strategy around data migration and management in the cloud.

Organizations that focus their efforts in six key areas will be far ahead of other businesses at this time next year, says PwC.

Competitive pressures mean insurers are highly incentivized to automate more processes where they can to meet customer expectations, says KPMG.

Upheaval in product development and new offerings made possible by connected devices mean insurance's 'moment of truth' is evolving rapidly.

Carrier-side venture partner Martha Notaras shares her ideas on what's in store for the insurtech sector next year.

Leandro DalleMule takes job as GM of North America for the insurance data platform.

New data quality management practices, data discovery techniques and predictive and prescriptive analytics tools will be among the top trends impacting analytics and business intelligence.

Machine learning adoption has been growing at a rapid pace, and there is no end in sight. Recent forecasts say pilots and implementations, as well as investments, will increase 400 percent by 2021.

Despite the strong and inherently negative narrative around the impact on jobs, the bulk of the impact from the automation of work through AI will result in a 'displacement' of work not a 'replacement' of work.

Representatives of multiline insurers

A chatbot might very well be a slower interaction than a well-designed portal, but there is other value.

Leadoff speakers from Digital Insurance's Insurance Analytics & AI conference in New York illustrate an industry operationalizing advanced technology.

Organizations that do not embrace modern business automation will flounder and struggle to survive, with approximately half of organizations recently surveyed saying they see automation as key to delivering a rapid rate of change.

Organizations using these technologies to drive innovation are seeing benefits in terms of revenue, profit and overall leadership in their respective industries and segments, says IDC's David Schubmehl.

Expect to see major changes in how organizations use AI, the rise of new ‘digital workers’ and increased competition for data professionals with AI skills, says Forrester Research.