NAIC Chief Highlights Risk, Data, and AI Oversight Priorities

State insurance regulators are intensifying efforts to address catastrophe risk, market data transparency, and artificial intelligence (AI) oversight, National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) President and Virginia Insurance Commissioner Scott A. White said during remarks at the organization's 2026 Spring National Meeting.  

Mr. White pointed to growing climate-driven losses as a central concern, citing expanded state-led mitigation programs aimed at strengthening property resilience. These initiatives, now active or in development across more than 20 insurance departments, include grants supporting fortified construction standards and wildfire-resistant communities. 

"What they saw as they walked along those streets wasn't just individual wildfire-prepared homes," Mr. White said. "They saw an entire wildfire-prepared neighborhood built on a blueprint that blended risk mitigation and modern building standards."  

Data from prior storms continues to inform these efforts. Homes built to Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety FORTIFIED standards have shown significantly fewer claims, with more than 80 percent constructed without grant funding, underscoring the scalability of mitigation practices.  

Regulators are also advancing a redesigned Homeowners Market Data Call, which will collect ZIP code–level data from 2018 through 2025 and capture roughly 98 percent of the market in most states. The initiative is intended to improve insight into affordability and availability challenges, while enabling real-time analysis of regional risks and insurer exposure.  

"It's really hard to overemphasize how impactful it is to have this ZIP code–level data at our fingertips," Mr. White said.  

Artificial intelligence remains another focal point for regulators, as insurers expand its use in underwriting, pricing, and claims. The NAIC is piloting an AI systems evaluation tool designed to give regulators a standardized method for assessing insurer governance and AI deployment. 

"We don't want to stand in the way of innovation that generally serves consumers," Mr. White said. "But we do want to make sure that it is used transparently, fairly, and in ways that hold up to scrutiny."  

In the life insurance sector, regulators are examining evolving investment strategies, including increased allocations to alternative assets and offshore reinsurance. NAIC efforts are focused on ensuring risk-based capital frameworks accurately reflect these shifts and that reserve adequacy remains transparent.  

"The overall goal is straightforward: make sure that the capital insurers hold reflects the risk they're actually taking," Mr. White said.  

Mr. White also announced that the NAIC will join the Association of Insurance Supervisors of Latin America as an associate member, expanding its international engagement.