By Chelsey Dulaney
American International Group Inc. said Wednesday that it has
received Federal Aviation Administration approval to use drones to
conduct inspections in the U.S.
AIG said using unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, can help
speed up surveys of disaster areas and lead to faster handling of
claims, risk assessment and payments. Drones also can provide
access to areas that are dangerous or otherwise inaccessible, AIG
said.
"Leveraging cutting edge technologies like UAVs can enhance our
ability to assess and mitigate risks to better help our customers
and their communities prepare for and rebuild after a catastrophic
event," Eric Martinez, executive vice president of AIG's claims and
operations division, said in a news release.
The company said it already has established a research and
development program and conducted flights in New Zealand.
AIG isn't the first insurer to tinker with the technology.
In December, Allstate Corp. said that it would study whether
aerial drones can help insurers process claims in the field. At the
time, Allstate said it would work with a consortium to lobby for
regulatory approval for using drones in the insurance and
construction businesses, as well as for refining data collection on
assessments of property damage and conditions.
Write to Chelsey Dulaney at Chelsey.Dulaney@wsj.com
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