In this episode of Insurance Corner, Heather Haley and Steve Walker are joined by Michael Dawson, Microsoft AI Workforce Specialist, to explore one of the biggest shifts happening in enterprise AI today: the move from AI products to AI platforms.

Michael shares his perspective on why organisations are becoming too focused on comparing AI models and explains why the real value lies in the orchestration layer that sits above them. Using a memorable World Cup football analogy, he describes how models, agents, governance and user experience come together to create an enterprise-ready AI platform.

The discussion covers Microsoft’s latest announcements around agentic AI, including AutoPilot capabilities and Scout, and explores how intelligent agents could take on routine administrative work such as diary management, meeting preparation and expenses processing. Michael also shares his own experiences using AI tools to automate expense claims, generate synthetic insurance datasets, create customer presentations and build sales artefacts.

For insurance professionals, the conversation focuses on how brokers, client service teams and insurers can use AI to improve productivity, create more personalised customer experiences and unlock new commercial opportunities. From transforming meeting transcripts into client-ready proposals to creating renewal presentations from years of client interactions, this episode is packed with practical examples of AI in action.

Whether you’re just starting your AI journey or looking to accelerate adoption across your organisation, Michael’s message is simple: be curious, set aside time to experiment, and start building new ways of working today.