Despite the buzz among insurance-industry leaders and technologists around the potential impact of such tools such as smart devices, wearables and drones, there is a wide range of technology adoption and maturity among insurers, according to the report, "Emerging Technology in Insurance: AI, Big Data, Chatbots, IoT, RPA, and More," produced by the Novarica Research Council. "Insurers continue to experiment with and adopt new technologies where there is a clear business case to do so," researchers concluded. But not all available technology tools are easily assimilated into insurance business processes, and many are still in the experimental phase. The study analyzes responses from more than 100 insurers. Among its key findings:

• RPA and chatbots continue to expand; and
• Artificial intelligence and big data remain areas of intense activity.

The slideshow above, as well as the graphic below, illustrate the hottest InsurTech tools being deployed in the P&C industry in 2021, their rate of deployment, and the technologies for which insurance professionals could be waiting for years. Note: This study was released early in 2021 and does not reflect the July 21, 2021 announcement that Novarica has merged with Aite Group LLC to become the Aite-Novarica Group. See also:

• 7 things you should know about InsurTech in 2021
• AI in 2021: Formulas for success
• 2021 Independent Agent Survey: Technology for the win