Description: Decentralized finance, or DeFi, is an emerging financial system powered by blockchain technology. This research report aims to introduce actuaries to DeFi and help them develop a solid understanding of DeFi. It will begin with addressing “what is DeFi?” by providing an introduction on blockchains and DeFi. It will then discuss in further detail the key characteristics, applications, opportunities, and risks of DeFi. After providing the foundation, this report will discuss the potential adoption of DeFi and its interaction with the current financial system (sometime referred to as traditional finance for contrast with DeFi), and the implications for practicing and aspiring actuaries. In addition, a glossary of terms used in DeFi and a brief history of the development of DeFi have been included in the appendix.

Description: Leveraging the research papers "Emerging Technologies and their Impact on Actuarial Science and Top Actuarial Technologies," the presenters of this session will highlight current and emerging actuarial technology trends, discuss how these trends will impact the day-to-day work of actuaries, and explain what actuaries can do to adapt.

Description: This document is from the March 2025 edition of the SOA Research Institute AI Bulletin, focusing on artificial intelligence initiatives within the actuarial community. It includes articles on strategic principles, professional development products, NAIC updates, and tips for prompting the language model.

Description: This project enhances the current understanding of cyber risks in the smart home ecosystem from the insurance industry's perspective. In particular, the quantitative framework and pricing strategies developed in this project can be immediately adopted/adapted by actuaries to price the cyber risks for smart homes, a fast-growing insurance market.

Description: Web3, Crypto, and Generative AI are no longer just buzzwords as they reshape the tech landscape. Viewed by many as unconventional technologies, their potential to now revolutionize the insurance industry cannot be ignored. Join us for an enlightening session that delves into the transformative power of these technologies and their current applications within the insurance sector, as well as discover how forward-thinking insurance companies are embracing these tools to unlock innovation and challenge the insurance status quo.

Description: The insurance industry is working rapidly to understand the potential for transformation as artificial intelligence reshapes how products are marketed and distributed. This webcast brings together founders and senior leaders at the forefront of this change to discuss how AI is being applied to better understand customer behavior, personalize outreach, streamline lead generation, and improve distribution efficiency. Discussion will focus on future use cases and how the use of AI in marketing could change product design and customer behavior.

Description: Come gain insights into the techniques used in Machine Learning and its applications. You'll discover the key technological advances in recent years which were behind and ultimately facilitated the breakthroughs including ChatGPT/GenAI. It's time to uncover real-world use cases where AI models and their transformative impact on our lives.

Description: This report discusses the use of federated learning in the insurance industry and explores the benefits and challenges of this approach.

Description: This session will include examples of healthcare claims and market data to be used for educational purposes to highlight trends in the insurance industry. It will also highlight opportunities to enforce existing laws around fraud and abuse, and areas for regulators and legislators to focus to address this growing problem. Finally, it will discuss recent law changes and highlight areas requiring additional regulatory intervention. Expect discussions of recent claim issues and laws in the healthcare market as well as emerging issues in healthcare. The presentation will be beneficial to healthcare professionals working for health insurers, healthcare providers, auditors, regulators and healthcare providers and will also cover professionalism related topics for actuaries.

Description: This report captures expert insights from a March 2025 roundtable on how generative AI is shaping actuarial work and insurance industry practices.