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4 minute read
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As more insurance organizations look to modernize and streamline operations with insurance AI, one question continues to dominate conversations: Should you build your insurance AI solution or buy a purpose-built platform? Whether you're a carrier, MGA, or reinsurer, the strategic decision between build vs. buy in insurance AI can significantly impact your cost, speed, scalability, and long-term success.
With submission volumes surging, claims growing more complex, and operational inefficiencies draining resources, this "build vs. buy" dilemma is more than a technology choice; it's a business-critical decision. According to McKinsey, AI could generate up to $1.1 trillion in annual value for the insurance industry by 2030. The need to automate, optimize, and unlock data-driven decision-making has never been more important.
So, which option is right for you?
Why Some Organizations Choose to Build Custom
Creating a custom AI system is alluring for many insurers. A custom build can offer complete control, greater customization, and closer integration with internal processes. Teams can also save costs by leveraging in-house developers already on their payroll or controlling proprietary systems. For some, owning their AI intellectual property is almost like a competitive advantage in a progressively technology-oriented marketplace.
However, the truth is that developing an AI solution from the ground up—especially in insurance—is much more complicated than it seems. Timelines for development often get extended, especially when development teams have other priorities to satisfy. Internal initiatives can go on for months—or years—while other business requirements get attention first.
In fact, recent research from IDC found that 88% of AI proof-of-concept (POC) projects fail to reach widescale deployment, often due to lack of expertise and resources.
Outsourcing development is problematic, as third parties generally don't possess extensive insurance expertise and often work with more than one client, limiting the time they spend on your project.
Cost is also a factor. Insurance AI development is resource-intensive. Beyond the initial build, organizations must allocate funds to ongoing maintenance, infrastructure updates, and highly specialized AI talent retention. Additionally, integrating these systems with existing legacy platforms can be technically challenging, and if specialized team members leave or vendors change, there's a serious risk of knowledge loss.
It is also important to note that once a custom solution is deployed, it can be rigid. Adapting a custom-built solution to evolving business needs or regulatory changes may require another lengthy development cycle, limiting your ability to adapt in a fast-paced market.
The Case for Buying Brisc's Insurance AI Platform
In contrast to custom development, platforms like Brisc offer insurers a proven, purpose-built AI platform explicitly designed for the insurance industry's unique complexities. It's not a generic AI toolkit that needs to be retrofitted to your processes—Brisc was built with deep input from underwriters, carriers, and MGAs to address real-world insurance pain points. Below are some key advantages of using an AI platform like Brisc.
Speed to Value
One of the most significant advantages of using a platform like Brisc is speed to value. Because the platform is built specifically for the insurance industry, deployment is fast—measured in weeks, not months or years. Insurers can begin seeing operational improvements immediately, avoiding delays, scope creep, and missed deadlines, which usually accompany custom builds.
Total Cost of Ownership
A platform solution also offers a lower total cost of ownership (TCO). With predictable pricing, organizations can avoid budget overruns and hidden expenses every day in custom development. Insurance providers using Brisc don't need to concern themselves with internal support and scaling of their systems, as the platform provides ongoing maintenance, updates, and enhancement to AI models.
Flexibility
Brisc's modular architecture ensures that insurers do not need to sacrifice customization when they buy. You can start with the modules that match your highest priorities right now— for example, bordereaux reconciliation or underwriting automation—and then add capabilities as your needs evolve. This enables organizations to grow with the platform, not around it.
Integration
Brisc has been built to work well with your tech stack. It integrates easily into your existing tools, systems, and workflows, eliminating the complexity that often derails internal projects.
What Organizations Often Get Wrong About Building Custom
Despite the allure of a tailored solution, many insurers underestimate the cost and complexity of building their AI. Projects often spiral beyond initial budgets and timelines, particularly when working with messy or inconsistent insurance data. Legacy systems introduce integration headaches, and regulatory nuances demand domain-specific expertise that generic AI vendors may lack.
There's also a tendency to overestimate internal capacity. IT teams may be extremely skilled, but they're usually stretched thin—supporting core systems, responding to security needs, and managing compliance obligations. Taking on an AI project in addition to these responsibilities can lead to burnout, missed deadlines, and underwhelming results.
Insurance companies aren't software development firms. When teams spend months managing a custom AI build, they're not focused on innovating in their core domains.
Many organizations have realized that building from scratch may not be their best option: Gartner found that of the companies surveyed, only 20% were developing their own AI tools at the end of 2024, vs. almost 50% in 2023.
It's also worth remembering that custom doesn't always mean cohesive. A bespoke system might solve a narrow problem, but it can become outdated or siloed over time without the broader context and ongoing innovation that platforms like Brisc provide.
The Best of Both Worlds: Build With Brisc, Not Instead of It
Every insurer has their workflows, priorities, and regulatory requirements. Brisc doesn't expect you to abandon what makes your organization unique. Instead, it's designed to support your uniqueness.
With Brisc, you're not starting from zero. You're building on an insurance-optimized foundation that accelerates your transformation—without the burden of doing it all yourself. Whether you're looking to streamline claims processing, automate reporting, or gain AI-powered insights in underwriting, Brisc provides a launchpad that adapts and scales with you.
A Smarter Path Forward
While building might seem like the path to control and differentiation, it often leads to costly delays, inflexible systems, and mounting technical debt.
Leveraging a platform like Brisc doesn't mean giving up control—it means accelerating innovation. With rapid deployment, lower costs, and deep insurance alignment, Brisc empowers carriers, MGAs, and insurers to realize the full potential of AI today.
Ready to see Brisc in action? Book a demo and discover how our insurance-native platform can help you move faster, scale smarter, and deliver measurable results.