Allianz Taiwan Life has launched an artificial intelligence (AI) customer assistant, developed in cooperation with IBM, in order to improve the online experience of its customers.

The new chatbot, named Allie, will serve online customers by using smart technology to identify policyholders, respond to questions and requests, make timely policy changes, and allow cross-platform operations, with the goal of making transactions simple, seamless, and efficient.

Allie will first serve customers on Allianz Taiwan’s website from this week onward. Debuts on the Allianz Engage mobile app and Allianz’s Facebook page are scheduled in the near future.

According to a statement by Allianz, Allie is the first chatbot in Taiwan’s insurance industry created using IBM’s Watson cognitive computing technology. It features natural-language processing (NLP), which utilises hundreds of real-life scripts to interpret user questions and action requests. It can also present complex financial information via images.

“We are focused on delivering digital innovations that are customer-centred and add real value,” said Danny Lam (pictured left), president and CEO of Allianz Taiwan Life. “This new service will bring customers a number of pioneering functions to deliver a more diversified and smart experience. This is the most important digital transformation investment for Allianz Life in the first half of 2018.”

Lisa Kao (pictured right), general manager of IBM Taiwan, added: “IBM is actively implementing the application of cognitive technology in Taiwan, driving innovative business models through innovative technologies ABCD (AI, Blockchain, Cloud and Data) to accelerate innovation in the new fintech era in Taiwan. Allianz Taiwan Life and IBM teamed up to use the IBM Watson Conversation API in conjunction with IBM Cloud to create the first insurance chatbot by building a smart customer service platform across the official website, mobile app, and social media.”

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