Research Insights, a Society of Actuaries Podcast

Can an AI model deliver strong predictive accuracy while still relying on biased or distorted data?
In this episode of the Society of Actuaries Research Institute's Research Insights podcast, host Lisa Schilling, Director of Practice Research, welcomes researchers Hong Li, FSA, ACIA, and Jiangang He to discuss their report, Evaluating Bias Mitigation Strategies in AI Models for Insurance Pricing and Risk Assessment.
The conversation explores how measurement distortions and indirectly associated variables can affect insurance risk predictions, even when sensitive group labels are excluded from model training. Drawing on synthetic simulations across five insurance applications—life, auto, credit, mortgage and health—the researchers compare traditional generalized linear models, standard neural networks and adversarial neural networks designed to mitigate potential bias.
Listeners will discover why predictive accuracy alone may not be sufficient, how adversarial learning can help reduce group-level disparities, and why evaluating model performance at real-world decision thresholds is essential for effective model validation and governance.
Listen to the episode to learn how actuaries can strengthen AI model validation while balancing predictive performance, fairness and responsible risk assessment.

In recognition of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, this episode of the Research Insights Podcast revisits a Research Insights Classic exploring cyber risk and its connection to insurance, financial exposure, and risk management.
The discussion examines how cyber risks can be measured and modeled, and how these insights help inform insurance pricing, coverage decisions, and risk management strategies. As cyber threats continue to evolve, understanding their potential financial and operational impacts remains an important consideration for insurers, businesses, and organizations.
Cybersecurity Awareness Month highlights the importance of recognizing and preparing for digital threats. This conversation offers a timely opportunity to revisit how cyber risk extends beyond technology to create financial, operational, and insurance challenges, and why effective risk assessment and management continue to matter.
Listen now to revisit this Research Insights Classic and explore the connections between cybersecurity, insurance, and the evolving landscape of cyber risk.

What happens when the retirement benefits employees value most are compared with what those benefits actually cost employers?
In this episode of the Society of Actuaries Research Institute's Research Insights Podcast, host Lisa Schilling, Director of Practice Research, welcomes Timothy Geddes, FSA, EA, FCA, MAAA, Managing Director at Deloitte Consulting LLP, and Ian Raver, EA, FCA, MAAA, Actuarial Manager at Deloitte Consulting LLP.
Building on earlier research into employee retirement preferences, the discussion explores how plan sponsors can balance employee satisfaction with financial sustainability. Topics include the cost-effectiveness of survivor and legacy benefits, surprising opportunities involving 20-year certain annuities, the expense of inflation protection, disability coverage, retirement eligibility ages and employee cost-sharing arrangements.
Discover how understanding both employee preferences and employer costs can help plan sponsors make more informed retirement plan design decisions and potentially deliver greater value without significantly increasing spending.
Explore the research: What Retirement Plan Features Do Employees Really Want?

In recognition of World Environmental Health Day, this episode of the Research Insights Podcast revisits a Research Insights Classic exploring climate change and its connection to health, risk, and decision-making.
The discussion examines how climate-related changes—including shifts in air quality, extreme heat, severe storms, and displacement—can affect health outcomes, economic stability, and the risks individuals, communities, and organizations may need to consider and plan for.
World Environmental Health Day highlights the important relationship between the environment and human health. This conversation offers a timely opportunity to revisit how changing environmental conditions can translate into real-world challenges and why understanding these interconnected risks continues to matter.
Listen now to revisit this Research Insights Classic and explore the connections between climate change, health, and risk.

Behavioral health is increasingly recognized as an important part of overall health—and an area where health plan sponsors, providers and actuaries have opportunities to improve outcomes.
In this episode of the Research Insights Podcast, Kara Clark, Senior Research Actuary at the Society of Actuaries Research Institute, is joined by Joan C. Barrett, FSA, MAAA, author of the report Developing and Evaluating Behavioral Health Solutions.
Their conversation explores the connection between behavioral and physical health, how behavioral health disorders are diagnosed and treated, and the barriers patients may face when seeking care. Joan also discusses emerging opportunities, including digital health applications, advances in treatment and genetics, evolving provider strategies, and the growing role of health plan sponsors in addressing behavioral health.
The episode also examines how actuaries can evaluate behavioral health solutions from both financial and stakeholder perspectives, with the goal of lowering total cost of care, improving quality of care and improving quality of life for patients and caregivers.
Tune in to learn more about the challenges, opportunities and evolving strategies shaping behavioral health today.
Series Landing page:  https://www.soa.org/resources/research-reports/2026/behavioral-health
Feedback at ResearchInsights@soa.org