Manulife Launches First-of-its-Kind ChatGPT Plugin for Personalized Travel Insurance Quotes in Canada

Manulife today announced the launch of a new CoverMe plugin in ChatGPT, making it easier for Canadians to explore travel insurance and receive a personalized quote. The launch effectively 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 organization, this 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. The launch builds on Manulife's focus to leverage AI to improve customer experiences by making information and services easier to access when and where customers need them.

"Being a trusted travel companion means showing up for Canadians throughout their journey--not just when they need to submit a claim," said Pamela Wong, Head of Affinity at Manulife. "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 help guide how AI solutions are designed, developed, and deployed across services.

This new plugin will help eligible travellers discover and explore protection in an increasingly AI-powered world, as Manulife helps shape new ways to make travel planning and protection simpler for Canadians.

Customers can enable the Manulife plugin in ChatGPT and answer a series of questions about their trip. The plugin then generates a personalized travel insurance quote. Customers can then 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.

"AI is changing how people discover, compare and make decisions, including how they plan for travel," said Jamie Campbell, Head of AI Canada at Manulife. "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 recognized as the number one life insurance company in North America and Europe for AI maturity in the Evident AI Insurance Index. For Canadians, the impact is simple: easier access to travel insurance information and personalized quotes, helping travellers plan with confidence before they leave home.

"Agentic commerce is quickly becoming a customer preference to find and choose products, and that shift is global," said Jodie Wallis, Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, Manulife. "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.