Matt Smith

As a kid, I dreamed about inventing a machine that could do my homework and chores for me. Turns out, I was just a few decades early. I’ve always loved solving problems, exploring new technology, and finding the right tool for the job. Today, that curiosity has me spending a lot of time thinking about one question: How can people use AI to do better work without losing the human judgment that makes the work valuable? I’m cautiously optimistic about AI. I don’t believe it will solve every problem, replace every job, or magically level the playing field. Like any powerful technology, it can be useful, overhyped, misused, and sometimes just plain wrong. But I do believe AI is a multiplier. People and organizations that learn how to use it thoughtfully can become faster, more capable, and more effective. That’s where I see my role: helping bridge the gap between people and AI. With more than 20 years of experience in marketing, digital communications, data analytics, and management strategy – and AI education through MIT Sloan and the University of Texas McCombs School of Business – I help organizations cut through the hype, choose the right tools, build practical workflows, and use AI responsibly. I’m not an insurance insider. I’ve never worked inside an agency. What I bring instead is more than 16 years working alongside independent insurance agents through my work with IIAT: close enough to know the industry’s real problems, but far enough outside it to see solutions the industry itself often misses. That distance is useful. Agents often know only the tools and solutions built specifically for their industry, which narrows what they think is possible. My job is to bring in ideas, tools, and ways of working from outside the industry, then translate them into something independent agents can actually put to work.