Aviva’s UK unit testing AI for ‘quicker solutions’
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The head of Aviva’s UK unit has revealed that the insurance giant is experimenting with artificial intelligence across its business.
Adam Winslow, CEO of Aviva UK & Ireland General Insurance, told the Insurance Post that virtual assistants and chatbots were the “obvious next step” for offering customers “quicker solutions to whatever their query is”.
“There are things that AI will be brilliant at – that you can expect us to embrace – and there are things that AI might candidly not be so good such as anything that requires emotional support or anything to do with vulnerable customers,” he said.
“There are no plans to replace any underwriting with just technology today. It is just a question of supplementing and improving,” he said.
He added, however, that there are cases where “human interaction, empathy and care” were crucial, such as when making a claim after a car crash.
Meanwhile, Winslow has reportedly been in talks with struggling motor insurer Direct Line to become its new boss, according to Sky News.
The company, which owns Churchill and Green Flag, has been searching for a new chief since January after Penny James stepped down following profit warnings.