Editor's Pick: Must See Summit Sessions

With the All Actuaries Summit 2025 quickly approaching, our Actuaries Digital editors share their picks for this year's must-see sessions , from smarter AI applications and flexible career paths to the nature of fairness.

The AI revolution: beyond the buzzwords

Hugh Miller, our Data Science and AI Editor, is particularly excited about sessions that push the boundaries of how actuaries use data and technology.

For early-career actuaries, Hugh recommends Jamie Wu's session on Multiplicative SHAP Values: Advancing Interpretable Machine Learning in General Insurance Pricing. Wu's work extends explainable AI tools into actuarial pricing—bridging that often tricky gap between academic research and practical application.

Both Hugh and Ayeeda Akhand, our Diversity and Inclusion Editor, are drawn to Minh Phan's Composing an AI Symphony. Ayeeda appreciates its promise of "No buzzwords. No fluff. Just useful AI stuff" — which sorts the genuinely useful applications from the hype.

Career adaptability in an evolving profession

Ayeeda brings a unique perspective on professional development, recommending Actuarial Adaptability: Unlocking New Paths Mid-Career as essential viewing for early-career actuaries. Her reasoning cuts to the heart of modern professional life: "The only constant in life is change — people change, circumstances change and industries change — and career transitions are a reflection of this."

The session reflects how actuarial skills are proving more transferable than many realise. Understanding how other actuaries have navigated career pivots enhances adaptability and can open your mind to new possibilities.

Challenging traditional thinking

James Aclis our General Insurance Editor, highlights Thought Provokers - Four Perspectives on Issues Shaping the Future of Insurance, addressing a common actuarial challenge: "Actuaries tend to get stuck in the past, because that's where the data is." Getting multiple perspectives on future trends is vital for a profession that must balance historical data with forward-looking insights.

James is also keen on The Art of Story Telling for an Actuary, recognising a critical gap in the profession's skill set. As he puts it: "Us actuaries and data specialists have all the best players on our team — the who, what, where, when, why, how, and every bit of detail and analysis we could want. Yet we don't have that final player that hits the home run. That player has the ability to deliver the message, that gives the 'so what?', that tells the story."

Are you ready to pick your sessions? 

Whether you're interested in cutting-edge AI applications, navigating career transitions or wrestling with fundamental questions of fairness, these editor picks are just a sample of what’s on offer at this year's Summit. Registration is still open if any of these caught your attention — check out the full program to see what else is on offer!