(Image source: ACORD.)
ACORD (Pearl River, N.Y.) has released the July 2026 update of the ACORD Reference Architecture, adding support for representing AI-enabled work within established ACORD constructs.
The release demonstrates how insurers can represent AI-enabled activities alongside human-performed work, according to an ACORD statement. The update is intended to help carriers and MGAs support automation while preserving accountability across digital and human participants.
ACORD says existing Reference Architecture constructs can show AI agent participation, activities performed, information evaluated, outcomes produced, and points where human review or approval remains required.
For example, an AI claims agent could ingest a first notice of loss, coordinate fraud checks and policy validations across systems, and escalate exceptions to a human adjuster using ACORD data structures.
The July 2026 release extends selected subtypes in two areas. Virtual Party subtypes can represent AI-enabled participants and other digital actors that perform or support process activities. Claim Activity subtypes can represent claim-related tasks performed by humans, AI agents or both during the claim lifecycle.
AI-enabled insurance processes are part of the July 2026 updates to the ACORD Reference Architecture’s Information Model, Data Model and Business Glossary. AI-related ACORD constructs include party role, activity, assessment, condition, document and financial transaction.
ACORD says the update is intended to help insurers represent agentic AI activity within the same data standards used by human teams, supporting automation while preserving workflow structure, accountability and auditability.
The latest release is available to subscribers of ACORD Reference Architecture programs.