Britam unveils AI-driven claims system for instant motor settlements

Britam General Insurance Introduces AI-Powered Drive-Thru Claims Service

Britam General Insurance has introduced a groundbreaking drive-thru service that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to evaluate car damage and process motor insurance claims in as little as two hours. This innovation marks a significant shift from the typical five-day waiting period that many Kenyan drivers have come to expect.

The new service, known as the Britam AI Motor Assessment Service, is located at the Britam Centre in Nairobi. It was developed by BetaLab, the company’s dedicated innovation team. The initiative is specifically designed for customers who hold comprehensive motor insurance policies and whose vehicles have minor, drivable damage.

When a customer arrives at the center, Britam staff take photographs of the vehicle. These images are then analyzed by the AI system, which identifies and assesses the damage within approximately 15 minutes. Once the assessment is complete, a digital claim form is sent directly to the customer's phone, eliminating the need for traditional paperwork, scanning, and physical submissions.

After the customer fills out and submits the form, Britam reviews it within 30 minutes. If approved, the insurer can either transfer the payment via bank transfer or M-Pesa or issue a repair authorization to one of Britam’s partner garages. The entire process—from arrival at the center to receiving payment or repair approval—is designed to be completed within two hours.

Faster Claims Through AI Efficiency

James Mbithi, CEO of Britam General Insurance, highlighted the transformative impact of this new system on how the company handles motor insurance claims. He emphasized that customers no longer have to endure lengthy waits for compensation.

“Today, five working days is not good enough for our customers,” Mbithi said. “We have launched a capability that uses AI to assess accident vehicles and pays the customer within two hours. In the future, we will be looking at how to scale this up so that a customer can do it at the scene of the accident, wherever they are.”

Mbithi also noted that the AI system can detect and analyze damage with greater accuracy than the human eye. He explained that the technology provides clearer, data-based results, helping reduce disputes between the company and customers regarding the extent of damage or repair costs.

Using AI to Reduce Insurance Fraud

Insurance fraud has long been a challenge in the motor insurance sector. According to data from the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA), insurance firms rejected 22,364 compensation claims worth KSh 658.9 million in the first quarter of 2025 alone, some involving suspected fraud and improper documentation.

Britam’s platform addresses these vulnerabilities through three integrated AI models:

A vehicle object detection model that validates image authenticity and identifies the correct side of the vehicle being photographed.
A damage detection model that uses computer vision to classify damage type, severity, and affected components.
A price discovery engine that aggregates real-time data from parts suppliers and repairers to generate localized cost estimates.

Together, these models help reduce the scope for manipulated photographs, inflated repair quotes, and inconsistent assessments—three common vectors for motor claims fraud in Kenya.

Part of Britam’s Wider Tech Transformation

The digitization of claims processing is part of Britam’s long-term technology strategy. The company has already been using a structured, data-driven system for over five years to track the prices of spare parts and guide assessors when estimating repair costs.

This existing system has served as the foundation for the new AI technology, which now automates and enhances much of the assessment work that was previously done manually.

Britam notes that the AI-powered service is currently available only for cars that can still be driven and have suffered minor damage. It is also limited to customers who hold comprehensive motor insurance policies.

As technology continues to evolve, there may be opportunities to expand the service to cover more types of claims in the future. However, at this stage, the focus remains on ensuring the system works efficiently for eligible vehicles and customers.