Partners’ Chat uncut – straight from the horse’s mouth (400)

In this episode, Matthew Grant and Robin Merttens hit the 400-episode mark and ask a slightly uncomfortable question: after all these conversations, are we still human or just very convincing AI? 

What follows is a sharp, unscripted reflection on how the industry has evolved from early insurtech scepticism to today’s surge of enthusiasm around generative AI. But beneath the milestone moment is a more interesting story, how insurance has shifted from resisting technology to almost over-embracing it, and what happens next when the tools are no longer the problem. 

Drawing on years at the centre of the market’s innovation community, Matthew and Robin explore the move from experimentation to execution, why “grown-up AI” is now the real challenge and where genuine commercial value is starting to emerge.  

In this conversation, Matthew and Robin share: 

• Why the industry has gone from fighting technology to actively chasing it 
• What “grown-up AI” really means and why governance and orchestration now matter more than new tools 
• How underwriters and brokers are finally seeing immediate value from AI in their day-to-day work 
• The risk of being overwhelmed by point solutions and what happens without a coherent strategy 
• The two very different playbooks for building AI businesses and which one is gaining traction 
• Why revenue is arriving faster for startups and how that is reshaping investment dynamics 
• What is fuelling the current boom in MGAs and why now feels like a defining moment 
• The contrasting rise of younger founders and experienced operators launching their own ventures 
• Why much of the market is still writing familiar risks and what that says about true innovation 
• Whether insurers are losing their appetite for harder, more unusual risks 
• How community, curiosity and shared learning continue to underpin real progress in insurance 
• And why, despite everything, face-to-face conversations still matter more than ever 

If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review on whichever platform you use or contact Matthew Grant or Robin Merttens on LinkedIn.