Manulife has announced the launch of a new CoverMe plugin in ChatGPT, making it easier for Canadians to explore travel insurance and receive a personalised quote. The launch marks a first-of-its-kind plugin in ChatGPT, as well as Manulife's first plugin in ChatGPT globally.
Combining Manulife's leadership in travel insurance with its ambition to become an AI-powered organisation, the plugin helps meet travellers in the digital experiences they already use to research and plan their trips. Travel planning is happening increasingly in digital and AI-powered environments, creating new opportunities for brands to support customers earlier in the travel experience.
Pamela Wong, head of affinity at Manulife, said the launch was about showing up for customers throughout their journey.
"Being a trusted travel companion means showing up for Canadians throughout their journey--not just when they need to submit a claim," said Wong. "By bringing CoverMe Travel to ChatGPT, we're meeting travellers where they're already researching and planning their trips, making it easier to explore their coverage options and plan with confidence."
The plugin was developed in alignment with Manulife's Responsible AI Principles, which guide how AI solutions are designed, developed, and deployed across services.
Customers can enable the Manulife plugin in ChatGPT and answer a series of questions about their trip. The plugin then generates a personalised travel insurance quote, and customers can complete their application and purchase through CoverMe.com. Travellers whose insurance needs require additional information or coverage options will also be directed to CoverMe.com for a more tailored quote experience.
Jamie Campbell, head of AI Canada at Manulife, said AI was changing how people plan for travel.
"AI is changing how people discover, compare and make decisions, including how they plan for travel," said Campbell. "As generative AI becomes increasingly part of everyday life for Canadians, we're focused on applying AI responsibly to make those moments simpler and more personalized for our customers. This launch--Manulife's first plugin in ChatGPT globally--demonstrates how we're using innovation to help Canadians access the information, products and support they need with greater ease and confidence."
The initiative reinforces Manulife's position as an industry leader in AI innovation. For two consecutive years, Manulife was recognised as the number one life insurance company in North America and Europe for AI maturity in the Evident AI Insurance Index.
Jodie Wallis, chief artificial intelligence officer at Manulife, said agentic commerce was quickly becoming a customer preference.
"Agentic commerce is quickly becoming a customer preference to find and choose products, and that shift is global," said Wallis. "We've spent the past several years building the AI and data foundations to move at this speed, and this is the first time we're putting them directly in front of customers in a conversational channel. The foundations behind it are enterprise-wide, so what we learn here compounds across our markets."
The initial launch is available to eligible Canadian travellers purchasing CoverMe Travel Insurance and supports both English and French customer experiences.
