'The debate now isn’t whether AI matters, it’s what actually works': Karl Griffin, JammJar

FR: The mortgage industry has spent the past couple of years talking about AI and its transformative potential. Is it time for that conversation to move on?

Absolutely. I think the industry has largely accepted that AI has the potential to be genuinely transformative for brokers. The debate now isn’t whether AI matters, it’s what actually works.

Brokers don’t need more predictions about the future. They want to know what AI can do for them now. If they implemented it in their business tomorrow, how would it change the way they work? What difference would it make to their day, their pipeline and their bottom line?

Concepts and promises won’t cut it anymore. We’re at the point where AI needs to be judged on delivery and impact. Show me what the technology does, how it fits into my business, and what problem it solves.

FR: Is that gap between promise and practical application what led to JammJar being built?

Yes, JammJar was built out of frustration with systems that talked a good game but didn’t reflect the reality of mortgage advice.

Advice is built around conversations, documents, decisions and compliance, all happening at the same time. Yet advisers are still expected to stop, log in, rekey data and manage systems manually. That’s not how advice works in practice, and it’s not how advisers add value.

From day one, our focus has been on building a platform that supports advisers in the background, automating the repetitive and administrative work so they can focus on clients. AI is only valuable if it removes friction. If it adds another layer of complexity, it’s failed.

FR: How does that philosophy translate into what advisers actually experience day to day?

The biggest difference is that advisers don’t feel like they’re working for the system. The system works for them.

Following the launch of our Winter26 update, JammJar brings sourcing, case data, document handling, compliance and communication into a single workflow, with AI supporting advisers throughout the life of a case. It automates much of the heavy lifting that traditionally slows advice down, from building a complete case record off the back of a client phone call, to handling documentation and supporting client communication.

This means advisers can spend far less time on admin and far more time on meaningful conversations. When you remove the distraction of administration, advisers listen better, ask better questions and uncover opportunities that might otherwise be missed, whether that’s protection, future lending or broader financial planning needs.

FR: You mentioned your Winter26 update. What does this release represent for the platform?

Winter26 is a really important milestone for us because it marks the point where everything we’ve been building comes together in a very visible way.

We’ve spent a long time refining the platform alongside brokers, focusing on real workflows rather than isolated features. This update brings together advances across sourcing, client verification, document handling and protection journeys, all working together within a single platform.

The launch represents a clear step change from proof of concept to a new reality, where AI is embedded across the advice journey rather than sitting in isolated use cases.

FR: You’re unveiling the update via a live-stream online event rather than a traditional approach. Why’s that?

Because this is a product that really needs to be seen to be understood.

Every time we run a one-to-one demo, the reaction from brokers is the same. There’s an immediate ‘wow’ moment where they see how much time it saves and how different it feels compared to what they’re used to. The challenge for us has been scaling that moment.

This live-stream online event is designed as a proper show-and-tell. We’re not talking about AI in abstract terms. We’re walking through real-world advice scenarios and showing how the platform behaves, step by step, so brokers can see how everything connects and what that means in practice.

FR: What can brokers expect to see during the online event?

They’ll see how the platform supports advisers throughout a live case, from initial enquiry through to completion, and how automation runs quietly in the background to keep everything moving.

We’ll also show how JammJar can support the integration of protection and general insurance alongside mortgage advice, and how firms can easily maintain consistency and compliance without being buried in admin.

The aim is that brokers leave with a very clear understanding of what’s possible today – not in five years’ time.

FR: Finally, who should attend the Winter26 online event?

Any broker or decision-maker who wants to see what AI looks like when it’s applied properly.

If you’re curious about how technology can genuinely support advisers day to day, improve productivity and help firms grow without growing costs, it’s well worth an hour of your time.

The live launch of JammJar Winter26 takes place at 11am on Wednesday 11th February. Registration is open at https://vimeo.com/event/5689037/0372eb798b.