Sompo Japan is first Japanese insurer to use AI to calculate approximate repair costs

• Sompo Japan is the first user of Tractable’s AI Estimating solution to calculate approximate repair cost in Japan
• By submitting photos to the AI as they report an accident, policyholders receive information on next steps within minutes, helping them make quick decisions about their claim
• Sompo Japan and Tractable plan to make video technology available to Sompo Japan customers in future, making the process even simpler and easier to use

In a first for the Japanese insurance sector, Sompo Japan – one of Japan’s leading property and casualty insurers – is to use AI to calculate approximate repair costs.

Sompo Japan will use an AI solution, developed by technology company Tractable, to support some of the complex tasks that a human assessor would carry out when evaluating vehicle damage. The solution – called AI Estimating – analyzes images of the vehicle involved in an accident submitted through a policyholder’s smartphone, and quickly assesses the damage and calculates the approximate repair cost. 

Those results are then communicated to the policyholder, allowing Sompo Japan customers to make quick decisions on how to take forward their claim, accelerating how rapidly their vehicle can be repaired. 

After successful trials, Sompo will launch the photo AI Estimating solution in Japan in October 2021. In time, Sompo Japan and Tractable expect to develop the solution so it can also automatically assess damage from video taken via a smartphone – making the process even simpler and easy to use for Sompo’s customers. 

Hideaki Nakano, Senior Deputy Manager at Sompo Japan, said: “This is a cutting-edge AI solution that will greatly help our customers when they most need it – when first reporting an accident. We are pleased to enter this alliance with Tractable, as their technology is in line with our digital-first vision for serving our policyholders in Japan.” 

Alex Dalyac, CEO and founder at Tractable, said: “Japan’s largest financial services companies are showing the rest of the world how to adopt technology that benefits them and their customers. By using Tractable AI, Sompo Japan’s customers will be able to get back to normal faster after an accident, hassle-free.” 

Tractable’s AI uses deep learning for computer vision, in addition to machine learning techniques. The AI is trained with many millions of photographs of vehicle damage, and the algorithms learn from experience by analyzing a wide variety of different examples. Tractable’s technology can be applied globally to any vehicle.

The AI enables insurers to assess car damage, shares recommended repair operations, and guides the claims management process to ensure these are processed and settled as quickly as possible. 

Tractable’s AI has processed over $2 billion in auto claims for many of the world’s leading companies. Global insurers using Tractbale’s solutions include Covéa, the largest auto insurer in the French market, PZU and Talanx-Warta, the largest auto insurers in Poland, and Ageas, a leading UK insurer.