By Preeti Vasishtha
Welcome to the first issue of Contingencies in 2026, focused on the theme of artificial intelligence (AI) and data—one of the key priority areas for the Academy—as well as on the ongoing value the Academy provides to its members, the public, and the profession.
This issue’s cover story, “Rethinking Risk in a Connected World,” led me to reflect on my own digital footprint. Within a couple of hours of waking up each morning, I’ve already checked the weather app, scrolled through headlines, and read email—all of which record not only what I read, but also when, for how long, and on which device. Somewhere, algorithms are quietly updating their digital profile of my habits, preferences, and behaviors.
In the rush of daily life, I don’t even think of how this digital shadow is analyzed and modeled. Every search, every order placed, every “agree” on a cookie notice feeds massive amounts of data. My information joins billions of others in vast systems that learn from human behavior: how we shop, drive, sleep, save, or even how long we linger on an online page.
The cover feature explores what happens when the definition of risk itself evolves. Traditional actuarial models once relied on structured, well-defined data—age, health history, and claims records. Today, the rise of connected devices, telematics, and big data means risk assessment can now draw from a far more dynamic picture of human behavior.
The implications are significant. On one hand, these data-driven insights have the potential to make risk assessment more personalized, accurate, and equitable. On the other, they raise hard questions about transparency, fairness, and consent. For actuaries, this underscores the crucial role they play in designing enrollment and risk assessment processes that ensure accurate data, fair pricing, and reliable risk models.
Continuing the conversation on risk, another article, “Actuarial Modeling Through a New Lens,” shows how convolutional neural networks—a type of deep learning neural network designed to automatically detect and learn patterns in structured data—offer a new way of seeing risk, enabling actuaries to expand the scope of actuarial modeling.
Of course, technology is only one force reshaping the profession. Environmental, demographic, and regulatory shifts are also changing the actuarial world. In “Agile and Ready for What’s Next,” the Academy’s 2026 practice council priorities show how all six councils are prepared to respond and lead in this dynamic landscape.
The Academy itself continues to advance its mission while demonstrating its value to members. In “Powering the Profession,” senior leaders describe how—from enhanced learning and deeper member engagement to professionalism, advanced technology, streamlined operations, strategic communications, and expanded public policy influence—the Academy will continue to strengthen and guide the actuarial profession in 2026 and beyond.
In “Even AI Knows the Academy’s Value,” Tricia Matson, in her first column as Academy president, brings together the themes of AI and the Academy’s enduring value, highlighting how both are central to the profession’s future.
In that same spirit, William J. Michalisin’s “The Power of Upholding Objectivity & Independence” highlights how objectivity and independence remain central to the Academy’s direction and to the collaborative work carrying the profession into 2026. It is this commitment to objectivity and independence, he notes, that ensures the Academy continues to make a meaningful difference for the U.S. actuarial profession, for decision-makers, and for the public we proudly serve.
There’s a lot more to explore in this issue that I haven’t mentioned here. And as you read the magazine, I need to step away. An app on my phone just reminded me to reorder house supplies that it somehow knows are running low.
Preeti Vasishtha is editor-in-chief, Contingencies, and the Academy’s director of content.