Across the United States, autonomous vehicles and robotics are now part of everyday life. Warehouses are operated by fleets of robotic systems while drones move parcels from distribution centers to doorsteps. What were once pilot programs are now public operations.
For brokers and clients placing complex liability risks, this shift presents opportunities and challenges. Current regulations, liability frameworks, and conventional insurance programs were not designed for such technologies. Getting coverage right is no longer just a regulatory exercise. It has become a critical enabler of trust, investment, and long-term adoption.
Everyday Autonomy, Real-World Risks
Autonomy has moved from labs into practical use. Last-mile delivery, logistics hubs, and controlled public mobility schemes have proven natural starting points - where routes are predictable, and risks can be modeled. This acceleration has been driven by three key factors.
Public exposure has increased, bringing a level of familiarity and acceptance that did not exist even a few years ago.
The technology itself has matured, becoming more reliable, more precise, and easier to integrate.
The cost of deploying autonomous systems has fallen sharply.
LiDAR, the laser-based sensing technology that allows autonomous vehicles and robots to map and interpret their surroundings in real time, was once priced in the tens of thousands of dollars per unit. In 2026, LiDAR is now available at a fraction of that cost, in some cases for hundreds rather than thousands of dollars, altering the economics of autonomy. As hardware costs fall and software improves, more businesses are exploring scalable deployments.
High-profile services such as robotaxi platforms have accelerated this visibility. In the US, commercial autonomous ride volumes reportedly hit 450,000 per week by the end of 2025. However, even the most promising technology can experience problems.
Where Ambition Meets Reality
One challenge is product-market fit. While fleet-based and commercial use cases have gained traction, personal ownership has been slower to follow. In practice, technological concerns and economic challenges have meant a more gradual adoption.
Regulation adds another layer of complication. Liability rules differ state by state, and often change as technology develops. Questions around responsibility, whether it sits with the operator, manufacturer, software developer, or fleet owner, are rarely straightforward. For brokers and insureds, this creates uncertainty around compliance and how claims would actually play out.
Then there is insurance itself. Many organizations assume their existing liability programs will extend to autonomous or robotic operations. Often, they do not. Standard policies were not built for systems that operate with partial or full autonomy, and bespoke solutions can be difficult to source or expensive without the right market access.
Insurance as an Enabler of Trust
Insurance is a fuel that allows innovation to scale. Well-structured cover bridges the gap between traditional cover and new forms of exposure, meaning investors are assured the risk is understood, and the regulators are comforted that worst-case outcomes are planned for.
Where insurance programs are clear and responsive, adoption can happen quickly. Where they are assumed rather than designed, gaps appear. That is why autonomy and robotics demand a different approach: one that identifies unintended exposures early, challenges assumptions, and aligns coverage with how the technology actually operates.
Why London Leads on Advanced Tech Solutions
When risks are complex or difficult to categorize, the London market remains the place clients turn. Its strength lies in flexibility.
Empowered underwriters assess individual risks on their merits and construct bespoke solutions that respond to how autonomous systems are deployed, rather than forcing them into old structures.
While loss history in autonomy and robotics remains limited, London underwriters draw on decades of experience across adjacent and high-hazard industries. Lessons learned from other emerging technologies are applied where data is still developing. This ability to combine judgment, experience, and innovation allows the creation of solutions where others hesitate.
Consilium: Your London Market Partner for Advanced Technology Risks
As an independent, employee-owned, service-led global wholesale broker, Consilium works with US brokers to place autonomy and robotics risks into the London market. Named the Wholesale Broking Team of the Year at the US Insider Honors 2025, Consilium's approach is built around understanding how technology is used and structuring cover accordingly.
Ted Pike and James Baber from our US Casualty Risk Solutions team, work closely with clients to identify gaps in traditional programs, design bespoke London market solutions, and support the safe scaling of autonomous operations.
For more information on placing autonomous vehicles, robotics, and advanced technology risks into the London market, contact Ted Pike or James Baber today.
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