Manulife has been named the top life insurance company for AI maturity for the second consecutive year in the 2026 Evident AI Index for Insurance, highlighting the insurer’s continued investment in artificial intelligence across its global operations.
The company also emerged as the highest-ranked insurer in Canada, secured first place in the AI Leadership category, and placed third overall among insurance companies evaluated in the index.
The recognition comes as insurers increasingly shift from AI experimentation toward large-scale deployment of AI-powered tools designed to improve efficiency, customer service, underwriting, and claims processing.
Evident AI Index measures insurance industry adoption
The Evident AI Index for Insurance evaluates 30 major insurance companies across North America and Europe. The assessment measures AI maturity across four areas: Talent, Innovation, Leadership, and Transparency.
According to Evident, this year’s rankings reflect a more demanding evaluation framework as insurers move beyond pilot programs and focus on enterprise-wide implementation.
Manulife ranked first in the Leadership category and received strong scores in Transparency, with the index citing the company’s executive involvement, public disclosures, and AI governance efforts.
The results highlight how insurers like Manulife are increasingly being assessed not only on AI adoption, but also on governance, accountability, and the ability to scale AI responsibly across enterprise operations.
AI now plays a larger role across Manulife’s business
Manulife said AI has become a key component of its broader enterprise strategy, supporting customer-facing services and internal operations across multiple markets.
Among the company’s notable AI initiatives are the Manulife Automated Underwriting Decision Engine (MAUDE) in Canada, which automatically processes more than half of eligible life insurance applications and can provide decisions within minutes for qualified applicants; John Hancock Quick Quote, an AI-powered tool designed to streamline insurance quotations; AI-assisted investment research and decision-support tools within Manulife Wealth & Asset Management; and AI-driven underwriting, claims management, distribution support, and customer engagement tools across Asia.
According to Evident, Manulife has publicly disclosed more deployed AI use cases than any other insurer included in the index.
These developments underscore how Manulife is embedding AI across both operational and customer-facing workflows, reflecting a broader industry shift toward enterprise-wide AI adoption rather than isolated pilot programs.
Insurers race to scale AI investments
The recognition reflects a broader trend in the insurance sector, where companies are increasingly using AI to automate repetitive tasks, improve risk assessment, and personalize customer experiences.
While many insurers have spent recent years building AI capabilities, the industry’s focus has now shifted toward proving business value and operational impact.
Manulife said it expects its AI initiatives to generate more than $1 billion in enterprise value by 2027. The company reported achieving approximately $300 million in value by the end of 2025 through AI-related projects.
AI becomes a strategic priority for insurers
As regulatory scrutiny around AI grows, insurers are also placing greater emphasis on governance and responsible deployment.
Manulife said its AI strategy is guided by internal Responsible AI Principles and focuses on improving productivity, simplifying workflows, and enhancing decision-making while maintaining transparency and oversight.
The company’s latest ranking suggests that AI is no longer viewed as an experimental technology within insurance but as a core business capability increasingly shaping how insurers serve customers, manage risk, and compete in a digital-first market.
