Insurance agents have been told for years that technology is coming for their jobs. Direct-to-consumer models were supposed to replace them. It hasn't quite worked out that way — agency and brokerage valuations have climbed steadily even as carrier valuations have lagged. But what will AI do? The answer, it turns out, is nuanced. AI will not democratize selling. In fact, the gap between top performers and average ones is more likely to widen than narrow, because AI will act as a force multiplier for those who were already at the top of their game. But a lot depends on finding the Goldilocks balance: not too much automation, not too little… just the right amount, implemented just the right way That's the framework John Sviokla brings to this month's conversation. A longtime observer of how technology reshapes business — and co-founder of GAI Insights — Sviokla has a way of cutting through the hype without dismissing what's real. He's direct about where most insurance companies and general agencies are falling short on AI adoption, and practical about where the genuine opportunities lie: account planning, product knowledge, and sales simulation. He tackles the chronic problem of churn among new agents, explaining how AI can be a major help. He details why so many organizations stall out before AI delivers any lasting value — it has less to do with the technology than with organizational habits that predate it. Read the full interview to find out why Sviokla says AI can be a flight simulator for selling, what his RISE adoption framework means for agents trying to figure out where to start, and why the most important thing to understand about AI is that you can't simply buy it. | 
