Here is a question worth asking before your next renewal: Does your general liability policy still cover damages caused by artificial intelligence? For many businesses, the answer is no, and most of them have no idea.
In early 2026, major carriers, including Chubb, Travelers, and Berkshire Hathaway, received state regulatory approval to add explicit AI exclusions to general liability, directors and officers, and errors and omissions policies. According to PYMNTS’ reporting, state regulators approved more than 80 percent of those requests. In several states, the exclusions began taking effect as early as January 2026.
This is not a footnote change. It is a structural shift in what standard commercial policies cover — and it is happening right now, mid-policy-cycle, with little fanfare directed at the business owners most affected.
What the AI Exclusions Actually Cover
The new exclusions are broad. They target bodily injury, property damage, and personal and advertising injury tied to generative AI outputs. That includes defamatory content produced by an AI tool, intellectual property infringement from AI-generated materials, and physical damages traceable to AI-driven errors or recommendations.
What does that look like in practice? Consider a marketing firm using an AI content tool that produces a defamatory statement about a competitor. Or a logistics company whose AI-powered routing system makes a recommendation that contributes to a vehicle accident. Or a professional services firm whose AI-assisted report contains a material error that causes financial harm to a client. Under the new exclusionary language, standard GL and E&O policies may not respond to any of those claims.
The Insurance Services Office, the private body that sets industry standards, introduced two new optional AI endorsements that carriers have been moving quickly to adopt. Some carriers, including Berkley, have implemented absolute AI exclusions across multiple lines simultaneously.

Why This Is Catching Most Businesses Off Guard
The problem is not that businesses are ignoring AI risk. It is that most assume existing policies cover it. AI tools have proliferated across operations, marketing, customer service, hiring, and financial analysis — often faster than legal or risk management teams can track. According to research cited by governance analytics firm Techne AI, 88 percent of organizations are now deploying AI in some form, yet fewer than 25 percent have board-level AI governance policies in place.
That gap between deployment and governance is exactly where insurers are drawing the line. Carriers are not saying AI is uninsurable. They are saying they do not yet know what it costs. Until actuarial models catch up, they are moving the risk off their books and onto yours.
The pattern mirrors what happened with cyber insurance a decade ago. A wave of attacks generated claims. Businesses argued their GL policies covered the losses because cyber was not explicitly excluded. Insurers responded by carving cyber out of standard coverage and building standalone products. That market matured into a $12 billion industry. The AI liability market is beginning the same process — just faster.
What to Do Before Your Next Renewal
The first step is a policy audit. Review your current GL, D&O, E&O, and professional liability policies for any new endorsements or exclusionary language related to artificial intelligence. If your policy renewed after October 2025, there is a meaningful chance this language was added without an explicit conversation.
Second, map where AI is actually being used in your business. Recruiting and screening tools, customer-facing chatbots, financial modeling software, and content generation platforms all carry potential liability. Bias in AI hiring tools alone can trigger Employment Practices Liability claims that your EPLI policy may or may not cover depending on how AI is addressed in the language.
Third, ask your broker specifically about standalone AI liability coverage. Specialized products now exist from carriers including Munich Re, with limits ranging from $2 million to $50 million. Premiums vary widely depending on industry, AI use intensity, and governance controls. Businesses that can document structured AI oversight and bias testing tend to achieve more favorable terms.
The team at Tooher-Ferraris works with businesses across industries to identify coverage gaps before they become claims. Start with a review of your commercial insurance program and ask specifically about AI-related exclusions in your current policies. You can also explore specialty programs designed for emerging and non-standard risks.
For more on how AI governance intersects with D&O and E&O exposure, the Risk and Insurance Management Society publishes current guidance at RIMS.org.
Ready to find out what your current policies actually cover in 2026? The team at Tooher-Ferraris has been helping businesses protect what they’ve built since 1932. Contact us today at https://toofer.com/contact-us/ to schedule a no-obligation consultation.




















































