For its December technology focus, The Actuary Asia connected with Kittipon Sarnvanichpitak, FSA, Principal Data Scientist at AIA in Bangkok, for a broad discussion on artificial intelligence (AI), including emerging techniques relevant to actuarial work, as well as advice for young actuaries as AI continues to transform the profession. Here, Kittipon shares his perspectives from…
In recent years, insurers have turned to big data and advanced algorithms for pricing and underwriting. While this is intended to boost accuracy and efficiency, it also brings new challenges around fairness and bias. Complex models trained on large datasets often operate as “black boxes,” making it difficult to see whether indirect discrimination has found…
The language of uncertainty permeates our lives. Whether a starting athlete is listed as questionable to play in the weekend game, or snow is likely in the afternoon, we often make attempts to place quantitative sentiment on uncertain events. Back in 1964, analyst Sherman Kent compiled “Words of Estimative Probability,” a since-declassified brief for the…
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has been a game-changer for many industries, and insurance is no exception. From policy selection to claims settlement, generative AI is rewriting the rules of how customers interact with insurers throughout the insurance customer journey. On one hand, insurers are deploying generative AI tools to enhance customer interactions; on the other,…
They say hindsight is 20/20. That might be true. After reaching a significant milestone in 2025—25 years of working—I took some time to reflect on what I have learned as an actuary and in related roles, how to apply that knowledge going forward, and what I might have done differently. Here are the top 10…
About 15 years ago, when I was starting my actuarial career and studying for exams, the Actuarial Standards Board’s (ASB) Actuarial Standards of Practice (ASOP) felt like a never-ending list of “shoulds” and “musts,” with additional flashcards to memorize. Honestly, I wondered at the time if anyone ever read them outside of exam prep. Over…
In early 2025, the term “vibe coding” emerged from the world of software development. Coined by artificial intelligence (AI) researcher Andrej Karpathy, it describes a new approach to coding: Instead of writing software line-by-line, developers now guide AI tools with natural-language prompts and iterate their way to the desired product.1 It’s not really programming in…
For The Actuary Canada’s December issue, I am pleased to share the story of Lan Tong, FSA, FCIA, whose life journey has taken her from Vietnam to Toronto. For Lan, early challenges taught her the values of perseverance, adaptability, and sacrifice—all of which have shaped her actuarial and life journeys. In this Q&A, she details…
You’re probably not a recent ASA (or FSA, for that matter), if you remember using any of these: Slide rules Punch cards Reverse Polish Notation (RPN) 8-inch floppies Your company’s actuarial library (full of SOA Commutation Table books, no doubt) Having been retired for a while now, I am starting to reach many life milestones. I was…
November marks Financial Literacy Month in Canada—a timely reminder that, despite unprecedented access to financial information, many Canadians still struggle to make informed decisions, and the gaps vary sharply by age. And while financial decisions are a constant across one’s lifetime, the knowledge needed to navigate them is anything but uniform. From the 25-year-old entering…