Manulife has been ranked the number one life insurance company for AI maturity overall in the 2026 Evident AI Index for Insurance, marking its second consecutive year at the top. The insurer also placed first in AI Leadership and ranked third overall among global insurers assessed in the study.
The index evaluates 30 major insurance companies across North America and Europe based on AI Talent, Innovation, Leadership, and Transparency. Manulife’s performance reflects its expanded deployment of AI systems across underwriting, customer service, wealth management, and claims processing.
Key AI applications include the Manulife Automated Underwriting Decision Engine (MAUDE) in Canada, which can automatically process more than half of eligible life insurance applications and deliver decisions in as little as two minutes. Other tools include John Hancock’s Quick Quote for faster insurance pricing, AI-driven investment support systems within its wealth and asset management business, and AI assistants used in Asia for underwriting, claims, and distribution support.
Manulife President and CEO Phil Witherington said the company expects its AI strategy to generate more than $1 billion in enterprise value by 2027, with $300 million already achieved by the end of 2025, underscoring its shift toward operating as an AI-powered organization.
The report also noted Manulife’s leadership in transparency and executive engagement, while highlighting a 41% year-on-year increase in its AI talent pool and the company’s emphasis on scalable AI architecture.
Evident Co-CEO Alexandra Mousavizadeh said Manulife stands out for embedding AI into core workflows, enabling measurable improvements in customer experience, access, and long-term engagement.
Manulife said its strategy focuses on responsible AI deployment, integrating governance and automation into development processes as it scales enterprise-wide adoption of artificial intelligence.
