When an executive recently asked young employees what resources would help them most, the reply was refreshingly specific: they wanted more tokens. Qin Hongbo, Vice President of New China Life Insurance, shared this anecdote at the company's 2026 interim results conference, highlighting a telling reality of the industry's digital evolution. A token is the smallest unit of text processed by large language models; every model call, every AI-powered query consumes it. The fact that frontline staff are demanding "extra tokens" signals a major shift—AI has moved from assisting isolated functions to penetrating product development, sales, underwriting, claims, and risk control. Computing power has become essential infrastructure for insurers.
AI Embedded Across the Entire Insurance Chain
"Our modern sales philosophy treats technology as a core competitive factor," said Qin. Over the past six months, New China Life Insurance has leaned heavily on AI to drive growth. The company is accelerating the rollout of a digital workforce. "We're pushing digital employees into customer service, underwriting, claims, and management, forming a matrix across front, middle, and back offices—letting machines handle standardized tasks while humans focus on higher-value work."
Across the sector, major listed insurers are elevating AI from a support tool to a strategic engine. China Life Insurance (the listed entity) has defined digitalization as key to its development. President Li Mingguang stated at the interim results briefing that the company is implementing a "digital transformation project" to embed AI across product development, sales, service, and risk control. "In the claims process consumers care about most, the fastest settlements now happen in seconds—computing power has become a critical factor of production," he said.
Zhang Xinyu, Assistant President of China Life Insurance, disclosed specifics: the company has built over 500 intelligent agents applied to sales, operations, and risk management. On the sales side, an "AI personal trainer" system supports agents; on the service side, large models aid claims processing for accident and critical illness policies, cutting average claims time to 0.36 days.
China Pacific Insurance has elevated "AI Plus" to one of its three major strategies for the 15th Five-Year Plan. Management said the company is advancing vertical industry models and reshaping processes. In property insurance, China Pacific Insurance has created six AI applications each serving over 10 million users, such as AI-driven call center agents. It also became the first Chinese banking and insurance institution to pass the DSMM Level 4 certification for data security maturity.
China Reinsurance listed digital capability as a priority in its results briefing. Through platforms like "Zai Tu," "Zai Yun," "Zai Qing," and "Zai Hang," it supports specialized lines including new energy vehicle insurance, weather index insurance, low-altitude economy coverage, and marine insurance. The company plans to deepen data governance and AI applications while strengthening investment through stable asset allocation and diversified strategies.
People's Insurance Company of China is accelerating structural tech reform to embed AI into operations, customer service, and management. Its property arm uses intelligent assistants and virtual training tools to boost sales and client operations, while claims processing undergoes digital transformation to reduce costs.
Sunshine Insurance applies AI across sales, service, and management. Its sales robot has completed 263,000 assisted client engagements; in the first half of 2026, problem resolution hit 94.27% and service satisfaction 96.61%. The property insurance division's claims robot served 1.09 million people, with 400,000 intelligent replies and 98% satisfaction.
ZhongAn Insurance, the internet insurer, embeds AI throughout its value chain. Interim results show 93% of customer claims require only one document submission, 55% of cases pass fully automated review, and 80% of claimants receive payment within one business day. Its group health business grew 57.5% year-on-year, powered by AI infrastructure.
Data Assets and Long-Term Value
If tokens are the fuel for AI, data is the foundation determining effectiveness. Zhang Xinyu noted that life insurers hold vast, long-cycle data assets. "AI can vastly improve standardized operations," he said, "freeing employees to focus on complex, personalized tasks." Qin Hongbo echoed this: New China Life Insurance has made deep data mining one of five strategic priorities. "Data is the core production factor of the future. We're building a trusted, usable, manageable data asset system that drives precision marketing, smart risk control, and product innovation."
Token and model investments are inherently long-term. As insurers increase equity allocations to tech and innovation, short-term profit volatility under new accounting standards has grown. Still, leading firms remain steadfast. Hou Jin, Assistant President and Chief Actuary of China Life Insurance, called short-term fluctuations a "phase-based accounting characteristic" of serving national priorities and cultivating long-term value. "Life insurance operates across cycles; we advise stakeholders to assess performance from a long-term perspective and avoid overreacting to quarterly swings."
New China Life Insurance meanwhile champions "Digital New China," "Smart New China," and "Innovative New China" as its guiding principles, committing to sustained investment in AI and big data across product services, investment operations, and risk control.