A Special Contribution from the Desk of Danielle Tauriello

AI can process data at lightning speed, but it can’t pick up the phone. In surety, real underwriting still depends on people who know people — who can get things unstuck with a call to a state office, a carrier, or a claims board.

Algorithmic models are now part of every risk calculation: credit scores, loss ratios, velocity scores, even predictive failure rates. They’re good at pattern-spotting. But they don’t build trust, interpret nuance, or navigate exceptions — all of which determine how quickly (and fairly) a bond gets approved.

“People do business with people,” reminds Jaime, from Ashton’s West Coast Office. “That’s still what gets things done in this industry.”

That’s where service becomes an underwriting advantage. Ashton’s team combines the efficiency of AI-supported risk scoring with the judgment that comes only from experience and relationships inside state agencies and surety carriers.

When a client issue crosses into gray area — a new license class, a unique collateral request, a partial renewal — it’s not a bot that clears it, it’s a person who knows the right desk to call.

The future of underwriting isn’t man or machine. It’s yes and — AI for speed, Ashton for relationships.
That combination keeps bonds moving, rates stable, and clients protected.