We propose a fuzzy random survival forest (FRSF) to model lapse rates in a life insurance portfolio containing imprecise or incomplete data such as missing, outlier, or noisy values. Following the random forest methodology, the FRSF is proposed as a new machine learning technique for solving time-to-event data using an ensemble of multiple fuzzy survival trees. In the learning process, the combination of methods such as the c-index, fuzzy sets theory, and the ensemble of multiple trees enable the automatic handling of imprecise data. We analyse the results of several experiments and test them statistically; they show the FRSF’s robustness, verifying that its generalisation capacity is not reduced when modelling imprecise data. Furthermore, the results obtained using a real portfolio of a life insurance company demonstrate that the FRSF has a better performance in comparison with other state-of-the-art algorithms such as the traditional Cox model and other tree-based machine learning techniques such as the random survival forest.

This study undertakes a comparative analysis of the performance of machine learning and traditional survival analysis techniques in the insurance industry. The techniques compared are the traditional Cox Proportional Hazards (CPH), Random Survival Forests (RSF) and Conditional Inference Forests (CIF) machine learning models. These techniques are applied in a case study of insurance portfolio of one of Ecuador's largest insurer. This study demonstrates how machine learning techniques perform better in predicting survival function measured by the C-index and Brier Score. It also demonstrates that the predictive contribution of covariates in the RSF model is consistent with the traditional CPH model.