14.05.2025 21:33:00
Дата публикации
A new product tailored for the digital era has emerged on the insurance market. British insurers are offering policies that cover damages caused by errors in artificial intelligence systems—from chatbot failures to the consequences of LLM “hallucinations”.
The insurance is intended for situations where a company is sued by clients or third parties harmed by AI products. It covers not only reputational damage but also direct financial losses, including legal fees, fines, and compensation.
The initiative follows several high-profile incidents. For instance, in 2024, Air Canada was ordered to pay compensation over a fake discount invented by its chatbot.
UK’s Virgin Money bank publicly apologized after its AI assistant chastised a customer for using the word “virgin”—even though it’s part of the company’s name.
Importantly, insurance will not be issued automatically. Each AI model will be assessed for degradation resistance and behavior predictability. A policy is issued only if the risk is deemed acceptable—“just like with any other complex asset,” insurers note.
The policy will not cover systems with a high error rate or instability—risky assets aren’t insurable by standard practices either. This should motivate companies to invest more in refining and testing AI systems.
Analysts point out that such policies may boost trust in AI but also increase company expenses, as insurance premiums will now be a new line in AI budgets—especially in high-risk sectors.
Experts emphasize that insurance alone isn’t enough. Companies need internal controls, limited AI involvement in critical business decisions, and human oversight during legally significant processes.
The question of accountability is also gaining prominence: who is responsible for an AI mistake—the programmer, the company, the user, or the algorithm? Precedents are still rare, but the regulatory tightening trend is clear.
This new insurance product reflects business demand for protection from algorithmic unpredictability. As AI spreads through law, healthcare, education, and finance, such mechanisms could become the norm—much like cyber insurance did.
(text translation is done automatically)
