By: Mark Fincher, Vice President, ASG Market Solutions

Did you ever wonder how Netflix knows what you might be interested in watching next or how Spotify suggests a new artist you end up liking? It may not come as a surprise that it’s powered by forms of Artificial Intelligence (AI). There’s been a lot of chatter lately about AI's potential – especially with the introduction of ChatGPT – but this has led to a lot more assumptions (and confusion) about AI’s capabilities.So, what does AI do for the collision repair industry, and what won’t it do? Let’s break it down.

How AI Helps

In the collision repair space, AI is being applied to join technology, data, and human expertise. This has massive potential for your shop. Here are just a few examples of how AI can help:

• Ease labor shortage constraints by making your existing labor more efficient – Identify frequently performed redundant tasks and fill in the blanks, freeing up time for your estimators to focus on more complex aspects of the repair.
• Create an efficient digital storefront – Provide a repair cost prediction upfront, allowing customers to make more informed decisions while saving your estimators time and energy spent writing detailed estimates for someone who may need to file a claim or may not be able to afford repairs now.
• Streamline estimates for faster repairs – Reduce cycle times by analyzing photos and comparing them to similarly damaged vehicles to “jumpstart” an estimate that a human can then review. This is a great example of how man and machine can work harmoniously together.

AI Considerations

Thinking through AI’s drawbacks and limitations is just as important as exploring its vast potential.Let’s make one thing clear: AI won’t automate away your estimators. Its greatest potential lies in combining artificial intelligence with human insight to produce better outcomes in less time.While AI may be able to reduce the time spent on tire-kickers and provide repair cost clarity for customers, it won’t eliminate your shop’s need for the power of people. Experienced estimators and technicians will always be necessary to perform a repair; they'll just be able to do it more efficiently with AI.

How CCC Uses AI Today

CCC ONE^® Estimating IQ uses AI to jumpstart estimates on insurer-initiated assignments today, and soon*, consumers will be able to upload collision photos and leverage AI to receive a predicted cost of repair within just a few seconds. The predicted cost range won’t be an official estimate, but it is being designed to help facilitate the decision to file a claim or repair the vehicle at all. As more estimates are written, the more accurate the range becomes, and the more crash data it analyzes, the better the platform’s predictions will be.Technology will continue to play an important role in collision repair, and AI is a logical next step as our industry evolves to meet the needs of modern customers. But AI is also just that… a step. For it to reach its full potential, AI needs to bring together technology, data, and the input, guidance, and management of people who have spent years honing their skills to make the best decisions for each individual repair.*CCC and its affiliates have full discretion to make or not make any product or service described herein commercially available to any person in any form or under any conditions or any timeline.