"Did a Robot Write This?" How to Answer When Clients Ask About AI

Important: An AI Diligence Statement Is Not a Formal AI Use Policy

An AI diligence statement is not an AI Use Policy or an AI Governance Policy. It is a short note an agent can use to reply when a client asks about AI use on a specific piece of work, such as a coverage summary or renewal proposal. 

An AI Use Policy is a different document. It is agency-wide and public-facing, published on your website and in other client-facing materials. It typically explains how your agency uses AI overall, how client data is protected, and how AI work is supervised. That kind of policy should be developed with legal counsel and your E&O carrier.

See the Big "I's" AI Sample Policy & Legal Issues

What an AI diligence statement is

A client calls about last week's coverage summary and asks: "Did a robot write this?"

If you hesitate, it sounds like you're hiding something. If you say "No" and AI drafted it, you have a bigger problem.

The better option is to decide ahead of time how you'll answer, and write it down. That short note is an AI diligence statement. It's a plain-language description of what AI helped with and how a licensed agent reviewed the work. Think of it like the notes on a renewal file: not just that the policy renewed, but what you compared.

A strong statement covers five elements:

• The specific task. "Drafted the renewal letter" is useful. "Used AI" is not.
• The tool. Name it, for example Claude.
• Your review, described accurately. Say what you reviewed and what you compared it against. Avoid absolute words like "every," "all" or "line by line" unless they are literally true and documented.
• The source of the information. Note that the work is based on information the client provided and the carrier quotes or documents you received.
• The policy governs. Remind the client that the summary doesn't change or replace their policy. Their policy documents control coverage in the event of a loss.

The last two elements are the ones agents most often leave out. They are also the ones that keep a helpful disclosure from reading like a promise.

Why It Matters for Independent Agents

Your business runs on trust. A well-worded diligence statement supports it in three ways:

• It reassures clients. A professional reviewed the work before it reached them.
• It's honest about your process. Clients lose confidence when something feels hidden, not when you use good tools.
• It creates a record. If questions come up later, your process is documented. Ask your E&O carrier what your agency should keep on file.

How to Write One in Four Steps

1. Tell AI what you did, and how to word it. Be specific about the task and your review, and ask for measured language.
   For example:
   
   "I'm an independent agent. I used Claude to turn three carrier quotes for a restaurant's BOP renewal into a comparison table and draft a cover email. I removed the client's personal details first. I reviewed the limits, deductibles and exclusions in the table against the quotes, corrected two deductibles and added a note that none of the quotes included liquor liability. Write a short AI diligence statement for this proposal. Describe my review accurately without absolute words like "every" or "guarantee." Say the comparison is based on information the client provided and the quotes we received, and remind the client that their policy documents govern coverage."
   
   
2. Review the draft like an endorsement. Is it accurate, complete and clear to a client? Does it promise anything you didn't do?
3. Fit it to the audience. One or two lines work on a client email. A carrier submission may need more detail.
4. Verify the statement itself. If it describes a review, that review needs to have happened and be documented. A statement that overstates your review is worse than none.

Two Examples:

*Have your E&O carrier or attorney review any language before you use it.

For a client email:

"This summary was drafted with help from Claude, an AI assistant, and reviewed by a licensed agent at our agency. It is based on the information you provided and does not replace your policy, which governs your coverage."

For a renewal proposal:

"This proposal was prepared with help from Claude, an AI assistant, which organized the carrier quotes into the comparison above and drafted this letter. A licensed agent at our agency reviewed the comparison against the carrier quotes and made corrections before sending. This summary is based on the information you provided and the quotes we received. It does not change or replace your policy. Please review your policy documents, which govern coverage in the event of a loss, and contact us with any questions."

The pattern: AI did a defined task. A licensed agent reviewed it. The client's policy governs.

Make It a Habit

• Get the wording approved once. Have your E&O carrier or attorney review your template language, then add it to your templates so nobody has to remember it.
• Lead by example. If the principal uses it, the team will follow.

Common Questions

"Can I trust AI output?" Treat it like a new CSR's first draft: useful, often right, always checked.

"Won't this make me look less capable?" Usually the opposite. Clients lose confidence when something feels hidden, not when you use good tools.

"Does this shift liability to the AI provider?" No. The statement doesn't add or remove anyone's liability. You are accountable for what you send to clients either way.

"Is this my agency's AI policy?" No. It's a reply for client questions about specific work. Your public-facing AI Use Policy is a separate, agency-wide document.

The Bottom Line

AI can draft, summarize and organize faster than any of us. It can't take responsibility for the work. A short, accurate, carefully worded statement lets you answer clients honestly without promising more than you did.

AI where it helps. Humans where it matters.

This post was adapted from Anthropic's tutorial on writing an AI diligence statement.