• Cyberfin Editorial
• June 25, 2025
• No Comments

Hi there, Daniel Metcalf here—Co-founder of CyberFin. 

After a great session with the Zywave team, I wanted to follow up on some of the fantastic questions we didn’t get to dive into live. 

Let’s tackle the big five:

1. Is AI disintermediating agents and brokers?

This came up a lot—and for good reason.

Disintermediation means cutting out the middleman. With AI, that could look like:

• Consumers using chatbots to get quotes, file claims, or get advice, without an agent.
• Carriers launching AI-powered platforms that personalize and sell policies online.
• AI tools delivering automated recommendations—replacing agents who don’t evolve past quoting.

Why this matters:

The fear is real: that AI makes agents less essential. But the opportunity is bigger. Smart agents are embracing AI to:

• Quote faster
• Personalize outreach
• Automate service
• Deliver value beyond the transaction

Bottom line? AI isn’t just a threat. It’s a mirror. If all you do is middle the deal, yes—AI can replace that. But if you advise, guide, and build trust? AI becomes your edge.

2. What about AI’s environmental impact vs. its risk prevention upside?

A fantastic question. AI models do require energy—but they also reduce carbon-heavy losses by improving prevention and optimizing underwriting.

The goal now? Use smarter AI and push for greener deployment. Efficiency and responsibility can coexist.

3. Ransomware is back. Could this harden the market?

It’s already happening. And for SMB agents, that’s a moment of differentiation. If you understand cyber—and can guide clients through real protection—you’re not just a broker anymore. You’re a business saver.

4. Any podcasts or blogs to help my team get smarter on AI?

Absolutely—here are some standout resources I recommend:

• Marketers AI Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketers-ai-podcast/id1692646601 
• The AI Daily Brief: https://aidaily.us/ 
• Unstoppable Profit Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unstoppable-profit-podcast/id1498358747 
• Bernard Marr Blog: https://bernardmarr.com/ 
• CyberFin Blog: https://cyberfin.net/blog 
• Daniel’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielmetcalf/

5. Best bagel in NYC?

I went to my favorite LLMs to see how they would answer—since I’ve only had a bagel once in New York City.

Here’s what came up most often:

#1: Ess-a-Bagel – It ranked #1 in all responses except for ChatGPT, which picked Absolute Bagels.

Cannot wait to hear what Jeff Cohen thinks!

Thank You

Thank you again for making me feel like part of the Zywave team during our AI and cybersecurity discussion. If any of your agency clients are looking to grow their cyber liability practice—without giving up comp or control—feel free to send them our way.

You can explore the CyberFin Alliance right here: https://cyberfin.net/cyberfin-alliance/