Australia’s insurers unite to launch national AI-powered fraud detection platform

The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has announced a major new collaboration with EXL and Shift Technology to build a national fraud detection and investigations platform designed to help insurers combat increasingly sophisticated insurance fraud.

Developed with the ICA’s counter-fraud division, the Insurance Crime Intelligence Network of Australia (ICINA), the platform will allow insurers to securely share fraud patterns, coordinate investigations and spot emerging risks. Motor insurance will be the initial focus area.

Platform development is expected to begin in early 2026, using advanced analytics to provide real-time alerts of suspicious activity. Insurers will be able to use the shared system to run joint investigations targeting persistent or organised fraud networks. The project mirrors similar association-led initiatives in the UK, France, Canada, Hong Kong, and Singapore, many of which also use Shift’s technology.

Privacy and governance have been built into the program design, with participants set to use privacy-preserving techniques, strict role-based access controls, and end-to-end encryption. The platform will operate under an industry governance framework with legal oversight, and all technical controls will align with Australian regulatory expectations.

ICINA CEO Andrew Gill said the industry was facing increasingly sophisticated threats as fraudsters adapt to digital channels. “Today’s announcement is the industry’s most comprehensive response to fraud,” he said. “By connecting insurers through secure, real-time intelligence sharing, we’re creating an early warning system that identifies fraudulent patterns across the entire market, stopping criminals before claims are paid.”

Shift Technology CEO Jeremy Jawish said the initiative reflected a global trend. “We are stronger together when it comes to fighting organised insurance fraud,” he said, adding that Shift’s platform “will learn and grow smarter as fraud tactics evolve”.

EXL’s Chief Growth Officer Vishal Chhibbar said the initiative would provide insurers with “a more seamless, cost-effective way to identify and respond to organised fraud”, supported by improved data quality and governance.

Australia’s travel insurance market is set to reach US$451.8 million by 2033.