Southern Cross Health Society has launched ‘Aimee’, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered digital assistant.
The insurer believes it is the first health insurance company in the world to launch a digital human, which has been in development since April.
Operated by UneeQ’s Intelligent Digital Human Platform, the insurer stated Aimee was developed to help Kiwis with finding information about health insurance and includes brand-elements brought to life through personality, face, appearance and voice.
Southern Cross CEO, Nick Astwick, says the launch of an interactive avatar is a future-proofing move for the organisation and signals its commitment to technological innovation in shaping the future of the sector.
“Aimee will play a pivotal role in helping us to be there for our members 24/7, and deliver more value to them right when they need it,” said Astwick.
He added that decisions around health insurance feel more personal, unlike for other products, such as buying a new phone.
“Other industries in New Zealand like banking and retail have been working with digital humans but the way a consumer seeks and values information about products in those sectors is vastly different,” he said.
“People often need reassurance they are making the right choices for themselves and their families…”
“We understand that when it comes to health insurance, people can feel quite vulnerable and emotions come into play. People often need reassurance they are making the right choices for themselves and their families and we’ve designed Aimee with this in mind.”
He described Aimee as empathetic, warm, natural and trustworthy and said the health insurer’s employees took part in the creation of their new colleague, including deciding on her gender, age, facial features and personality.
Initially, Aimee will be able to:
- Focus on answering common questions such as what the value of health insurance is and how the health system works
- Provide easy-to-understand information about insurance-specific terms like pre-existing conditions
The insurer expects that longer term, she will be capable of providing support and guidance in response to more in-depth questions, as she learns from conversations and better understands people’s needs.
It noted that the development of Aimee’s voice uses a customised synthesised version of a human voice that is recorded in a studio, which it believes is one of the first times this technology has been used in New Zealand.
UneeQ Chief Executive, Danny Tomsett, says encouraging customers to self-serve via digital channels increases efficiency and can drive down cost, but people are wired for connection.
“UneeQ can create digital humans that listen, speak, show empathy and communicate in the way only humans could before. Everything from their unique appearance to their personalities are co-designed to create the most positive, lasting impact on users,” he explained.
Click here to interact with Aimee.