Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to cause disruption in the world’s industries, and the insurance sector is not an exception, as the technology is actively reshaping the very foundation of entry-level employment.
According to insights from the KPMG 2025 Global CEO Outlook, a striking 79% of global insurance CEOs believe AI is changing the skills required for entry-level roles.
This signals that there is a profound shift in how young professionals must prepare for careers in the sector.
The findings, which focus on Banking and Capital Markets as well as Insurance, show that financial services leaders are entering 2026 with renewed confidence, despite persistent geopolitical tensions, economic volatility, and regulatory complexity.
Confidence Rebounds as Growth Expands
The 2025 Global CEO Outlook indicates that insurance CEOs are increasingly optimistic about their organisations’ prospects. Globally, 82% express confidence in their company’s growth trajectory, up significantly from 74% in 2024.
This surge in growth is being driven by expansion across health, life, and specialty insurance lines, including cyber and business interruption coverage.
Behind this optimism is aggressive technology-led reinvention. The outlook further notes that AI adoption is accelerating across underwriting, onboarding, claims processing, and cyber defence.
In addition, about 67% of CEOs expect returns from AI investments within one to three years. This is a sharp rise from just 21% last year. Furthermore, two-thirds plan to allocate between 10% and 20% of their budgets toward AI initiatives.
“Insurance leaders across Africa are navigating a complex operating environment, but they are doing so from a position of growing confidence. AI presents enormous opportunity to improve efficiency, risk assessment and customer engagement. However, sustainable success will depend on responsible adoption, workforce readiness and strong cyber resilience. Insurers that balance innovation with trust will be best placed to outperform,” Mark Danckwerts, Head of Insurance, KPMG One Africa said.
Entry-Level Jobs Are Being Redefined
For young graduates and the labour force looking for entry-level jobs in the insurance sector and, by extension, other industries, the responsibility is now higher.
Prior to the disruption by AI, traditional entry-level insurance roles often focused on routine administrative tasks, data entry, policy documentation, and basic claims support. But with AI increasingly automating these functions, the value of purely transactional skills is diminishing.
This signals that, instead, insurers now require graduates who can interpret and validate AI-generated insights, understand data analytics and digital tools, apply critical thinking to complex risk assessments, and demonstrate cybersecurity awareness.
In addition, they must be able to adapt quickly to evolving digital workflows.
The KPMG findings show that 83% of insurance CEOs say AI is reshaping training and development, while 77% cite workforce readiness and upskilling as a major constraint on growth.
For graduates across Africa and globally, this means employability will increasingly depend on digital fluency, analytical capability, and adaptability, rather than solely on academic qualifications.
Cyber Risk and ESG Pressures Intensify
Amid the disruption caused by AI, the report indicates that risk management remains a dominant theme.
A whopping 83% of CEOs regard cybercrime as the biggest barrier to organisational growth, making cybersecurity and digital resilience the top area for risk mitigation investment.
At the same time, sustainability and ESG compliance remain firmly on boardroom agendas. More than half (55%) of global insurance CEOs identify ESG reporting and compliance as their primary ESG priority.
This means that for African insurers, whose regulatory frameworks often align with evolving European standards, this presents both compliance pressure and strategic opportunity.
The Bottomline
The findings in KPMG’s 2025 Global CEO Outlook make clear that insurance leaders are confident; however, that confidence is tied directly to technology-driven reinvention.
AI is not simply improving efficiency; it is redefining workforce structures, altering hiring criteria, and reshaping career pathways from the ground up.
For the next generation entering the workforce, the question is no longer whether AI will affect their roles; it is already causing massive disruption.
