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AI, Authenticity, and the Future of Elite Production: What the Insurance Industry Must Learn from Craig Bender’s InsureU2 Revolution

The insurance industry is entering one of the most transformative seasons in its history. For decades, our world has been shaped by carriers, underwriting cycles, prospecting methods, and the grit of producers willing to outwork their competition. But today, a new force is reshaping the landscape—and most producers, agency leaders, and industry professionals aren’t ready for it.

Artificial intelligence isn’t coming.
It’s here.
And it’s already determining which agencies will grow, which producers will scale, and which organizations will struggle to keep up.

But as powerful as AI is, it’s not the only disruptive force redefining the industry. Social media has created “insurance influencers.” Marketing gurus preach tactics with little understanding of underwriting or carrier appetites. And professionals of all experience levels are getting drowned out by algorithm-powered noise.

That’s why my recent conversation with Craig Bender, founder of InsureU2, struck such a chord.

Craig is not another person talking about AI—he’s actually building it. Not in theory. Not in broad concepts. But in the most practical way possible: AI that sits on your desktop and guides producers in real time while they’re on the phone. His platform doesn’t replace agents; it elevates them.

What unfolded in this conversation wasn’t just a product announcement. It was a blueprint for producers, agency owners, and industry professionals who want to thrive in a world that’s changing faster than ever.

This post blends all three of the audiences I serve:

  • Producers looking to master the craft and compete at the highest level
  • Agency owners searching for operational efficiency and modernization
  • Industry professionals following the larger trends shaping the business

Let’s break down what every one of these groups needs to understand.

The Noise Is Getting Louder — and More Dangerous

One of the themes Craig and I kept circling back to was the massive amount of noise in the industry today. Everyone seems to be creating content, teaching systems, offering shortcuts, or selling certainty.

But here’s the truth—and you already feel it:

We have more voices than ever, but fewer that actually know what they’re talking about.

The rise of social platforms has created personalities who have never:

  • Placed a large commercial account
  • Negotiated a tough renewal
  • Been in the trenches with clients
  • Had working knowledge of underwriting, claims, or policy language

Yet they speak with absolute authority.

Meanwhile, real producers, real underwriters, and real leaders often stay quiet, not because they lack expertise, but because they’re too busy doing the work.

That’s part of what makes technology conversations so complicated today. When someone says “AI,” most agents think:

“Oh, that means ChatGPT.”

And while generative text is helpful, it barely scratches the surface of what AI can do for insurance operations, underwriting, and production.

The problem isn’t AI—it’s misunderstanding.

The problem isn’t competition—it’s noise.

And both are getting louder.
Which brings us to the most important distinction of all…

The Future Belongs to Producers and Agencies Who Build Their Own Identity

Craig and I share a belief that’s almost counter-cultural in today’s industry:

If everyone is going right, the opportunity is almost always to the left.

Producers chase the hot tactic.
Agencies buy tools they don’t need.
Leadership teams follow trends without understanding the underlying strategy.

That’s why so many agencies:

  • Struggle with VAs
  • Misuse technology
  • Fall behind operationally
  • Burn out their producers
  • Fail to create differentiation

The truth is simple:

You cannot copy your way to becoming a market leader.

There are 1.2 million insurance professionals in the United States alone.
Most of the content you see online is coming from a tiny fraction of that.
And yet, too many people take it as gospel.

You want to know how you rise above the noise? By

Building systems that work for your agency.
Implementing technology that aligns with your workflows.
Training producers to sell in a way that reflects your strategy.
Focusing on long-term consistency, not short-term trends.

Craig uses a phrase that captures this perfectly:

“Brick by brick.”

He’s been building InsureU2 brick by brick for years.

Not once did he, rush the process, build something for the sake of hype or pivot because someone on social media had an opinion.

Instead, he built something that meets the realities of agency life—not the fantasies of LinkedIn.

And that’s where things get really interesting.

AI Is More Than a Buzzword — It’s the New Competitive Advantage

Here’s the part I think every producer and agency owner needs to hear:

AI is not a trend. It is the new baseline.

Just like email, websites, AMS systems, CRMs, digital marketing.

Within 36 months, agencies not using AI will be competing against agencies that run twice as efficiently at half the cost.

The gap won’t be small.
It will be catastrophic.

But here’s what most people miss:

AI is not replacing producers. It’s replacing inefficiency.

It’s replacing time spent on:

  • quoting
  • comparing proposals
  • rewriting the same email
  • searching for underwriting guidelines
  • coaching new producers on the same questions
  • identifying cross-sell opportunities

My own agency has already felt this shift.

With tools like:

  • ReFocus — eliminating the time drain of Florida renewals
  • BluePond — turning complex quote comparisons into one-page clarity
  • Synthesia — allowing me to build entire LMS courses in hours instead of weeks
  • My private AI model — giving producers a 24/7 on-demand version of me for sales prep and strategy

But what Craig has created with InsureU2 AI goes even further.

It’s not an assistant, a chatbot or an LLM plugged into a template.

It is a real-time, in-call producer enhancement engine.

Inside InsureU2 AI: A Digital Expert Sitting on Every Producer’s Shoulder

Here’s where things get revolutionary.

Most AI tools in our industry fall into one of two categories:

  1. Post-call analysis — telling you afterward what happened
  2. Chat interfaces — waiting for you to ask a question

InsureU2 AI does neither.

Instead, it listens during the call and responds in half a second with:

  • Objection-handling scripts
  • Cross-sell prompts
  • Renewal risks
  • Coverage explanations
  • Underwriting appetite guidance
  • Sentiment detection
  • Compliance cues
  • Eligibility triggers

Imagine this:

Your producer is quoting personal auto.
The prospect mentions they just bought a home.

InsureU2 instantly pushes a prompt:

“Would you like a homeowners quote as well? Bundled policies save money.”

Or imagine a VA is handling a service call and begins drifting into territory they shouldn’t touch.

InsureU2 instantly flags:

“Stop. This requires a licensed agent. Transfer the call.”

Or imagine a producer misses an umbrella opportunity for the fifth time.

InsureU2 automatically logs it, reports it, and builds accountability into your coaching.

And here’s the part most agency owners overlook:

AI never forgets, never gets tired, never skips a step, and never misses an opportunity.

If you want consistency in your organization, AI is the only path forward.

Why Most Agencies Fail with VAs (and How AI Fixes It)

Craig and I both laughed about this because we see it constantly.

Agencies hire VAs because:

  • It’s trendy
  • Everyone else is doing it
  • It looks good in Facebook groups
  • They think it will magically solve workload issues

But here’s the reality:

If your agency doesn’t have documented systems and processes, your VA will fail.

What Craig has built changes the equation, AI:

  • keeps VAs inside guardrails
  • corrects mistakes in real time
  • ensures consistency
  • provides scripts and guidance
  • stops them from violating compliance boundaries

Suddenly, the VA is not working alone.

They are working with a digital supervisor who protects your agency and your clients on every call.

That is a game-changer.

Why Producers Should Be Paying Attention

If you’re a producer reading this, here’s the one thing you need to remember:

The market is about to get more competitive than ever.

If you’re not using AI to:

  • Prep your calls
  • Build your proposals
  • Compare quotes
  • Identify renewal issues
  • Follow up faster
  • Create content
  • Understand underwriting
  • Practice scripts
  • Review conversations

You’re already behind.

Five years from now, the top producers in the country will not be the ones who work the hardest.

They will be the ones who combine:

  • Hard work
  • Proven systems
  • Authentic relationships
  • And AI-powered execution

That’s the new formula for success.

Why Agency Owners Should Be Paying Attention

If you’re an owner or principal, your focus should be simple:

Where can AI give my people more capacity and give my clients a better experience?

Because here’s what AI unlocks:

  • More time for producers to sell
  • Lower operational costs
  • Higher accuracy
  • Stronger cross-sell revenue
  • Better retention
  • Real data for coaching
  • Faster training for new hires
  • Better accountability across the board

If you don’t adopt it now, you’ll spend the next five years trying to catch up

Final Takeaways — For Producers, Owners, and the Entire Industry

  1. The industry is changing faster than ever

AI is not optional.
Operational excellence is not optional.
Authenticity is not optional.

  1. Producers who master AI will outperform those who don’t

This is not an opinion—it’s math.

  1. Owners must rebuild operations with modern tools

Your agency cannot scale on 1998 processes.

  1. The opportunity is not in following the herd

It’s in building systems that fit your identity, your market, and your strengths.

  1. The future is hybrid:

Human expertise
+
AI intelligence
=
A completely new level of performance

Call to Action: Your Move

No matter your role in the industry, here’s your next step:

If you’re a producer:

Start integrating AI into your daily workflow. The producers who learn it now will dominate tomorrow.

If you’re an agency owner:

Audit your operations. Clean up your processes. Deploy technology that eliminates waste.

If you’re an industry professional watching the trends:

Pay attention to the solutions built by people who actually understand insurance—not people chasing virality.

The industry is evolving.
AI is accelerating.
The opportunity has never been greater.

Now is the time to step forward and build—brick by brick—the future of insurance.

AI, Authenticity, and the Future of Elite Production: What the Insurance Industry Must Learn from Craig Bender’s InsureU2 Revolution

February 16, 2026 No Comments

The insurance industry is entering one of the most transformative seasons in its history. For decades, our world has been shaped by carriers, underwriting cycles, prospecting methods, and the grit of producers willing to outwork their competition. But today, a new force is reshaping the landscape—and most producers, agency leaders, and industry professionals aren’t ready for it.

Read More »
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