Stuart Maltas
NTT DATA
Global Head of Insurance industry cloud
AI is no longer just an efficiency tool in insurance—it is transforming the entire value chain, from underwriting to customer engagement. To explore how cloud-enabled modernization and Generative AI are driving this shift, we spoke with Stuart Maltas, Global Insurance Industry Cloud Leader at NTT DATA. In this interview, he shares his perspective on overcoming legacy IT, building AI-ready foundations, and moving from pilots to enterprise-wide adoption.
AI disruption in insurance is accelerating. What shifts are you seeing today compared to the first wave of digitalization?
The insurance industry has moved beyond digitizing isolated processes into a phase where Artificial Intelligence—particularly Generative AI—is reshaping the entire value chain. What stands out today is the shift from experimentation toward enterprise-wide transformation. We are no longer talking only about efficiency gains; insurers are exploring how AI can deliver hyper-personalized products, human-like conversations, and real-time decision-making across underwriting, claims, distribution, and customer service.
At NTT DATA, we view this as a turning point: AI is not just a tool but a strategic driver of competitiveness. Those who embed it into their core operating models are already outperforming peers in shareholder value and customer impact.
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One of the biggest barriers is legacy IT. How does cloud-enabled modernization help insurers overcome this challenge?
Legacy platforms remain the single most significant impediment to scaling AI. They are often undocumented, costly to maintain, and unable to process data in real time. Cloud modernization provides the scalability, agility, and security insurers need to fully unlock AI’s potential.
By modernizing core systems in the cloud, insurers can accelerate product launches by up to four times, reduce operating costs significantly, and reallocate budgets from maintenance to innovation. This is not only about technology; it is about enabling insurers to compete on equal terms with agile insurtechs.
We bring deep domain expertise and global partnerships with Google Cloud (AI-driven mainframe modernization), Microsoft Azure (cloud-native application development), and AWS (hybrid cloud optimization) to help insurers modernize at scale.
How can Generative AI itself accelerate this modernization journey?
Encouragingly, Generative AI is not only an end goal but also an enabler. It can analyze and re-write legacy code, generate structured documentation, and automate testing—preserving business knowledge while accelerating release cycles. This directly boosts engineer productivity and reduces risk in large-scale migrations.
In other words, GenAI is becoming both the catalyst and the outcome of modernization, helping insurers shorten transformation timelines while laying the foundation for enterprise AI adoption.
Insurance modernization accelerators, powered by GenAI, help clients automate code remediation and testing, while our partnerships with hyperscalers ensure seamless integration into modern cloud environments.
Many AI projects stumble because of poor data quality or governance. What steps should insurers take to build a solid, secure data foundation?
The real value of AI comes from data, but only if that data is governed responsibly and processed effectively. Insurers must prioritize three things:
1 - Governance and compliance to ensure ethical, unbiased, and legally sound AI decisions.
2 - Privacy and security to safeguard sensitive policyholder data.
3 - Real-time, event-driven data management to support AI use cases across underwriting, claims, and customer engagement.
Without this foundation, AI initiatives will remain fragmented experiments. With it, insurers can confidently scale AI and deliver lasting value.
At NTT DATA, we support insurers with comprehensive data governance frameworks, advanced cybersecurity practices, and AI-ready data platforms that ensure responsible and scalable use of data.
Beyond cloud and data, what does an “AI-first” architecture look like for insurers?
Adopting AI at scale requires a fundamental rethink of infrastructure. This means moving toward flexible hybrid cloud models, GPU-powered compute for intensive workloads, and even edge computing, where latency and sovereignty requirements dictate.
Equally important is building modular, reusable AI components that can be deployed across multiple business domains. This ensures scalability and cost-effectiveness while keeping pace with rapidly evolving technology.
Our Smart AI Agent™ Ecosystem is designed to orchestrate multiple AI agents across platforms securely. Combined with Takumi on Google Cloud, Sovereign Cloud initiatives with Microsoft, and Amazon Nova on AWS, we help insurers design architectures that are future-ready and compliant.
Many insurers are still stuck in pilots. How can they move from experimentation to enterprise-wide adoption?
The key is to stop treating AI as a series of disconnected proofs of concept and instead align it with enterprise strategy. This requires change management, talent investment, and a culture of innovation as much as it requires technology.
By rewiring core systems, unifying data, and adopting modular AI architectures, insurers can unlock use cases across the value chain simultaneously—claims automation, underwriting augmentation, distribution personalization—rather than in silos.
We combine insurance domain expertise with global technology partnerships and accelerators to help clients leap from pilots to scaled deployments that deliver measurable business outcomes.
Looking ahead, what must insurance leaders do today to stay competitive tomorrow?
The message is clear: those who fail to modernize legacy systems and embrace cloud-enabled AI will risk falling behind. Conversely, those who lead with AI—grounded in strong platforms, data governance, and future-proof architectures—will shape the future of insurance.
Leaders must act now: modernize, secure, and scale. Just as importantly, they must foster a culture of responsible innovation, invest in AI-ready talent, and ensure transformation is seen not as a cost, but as a growth enabler.
At NTT DATA, we are committed to guiding insurers through this journey—bringing together technology, partnerships, and deep industry expertise to help them embrace disruption and convert it into sustainable competitive advantage.