Manulife Hong Kong Selected for Regulators' First Cohort of GenA.I. Sandbox++ to Advance Customer Experience, Anti-Fraud and Risk Management

Hong Kong — Manulife Hong Kong today announced that it has been selected to participate in the First Cohort of the GenA.I. Sandbox++ ("GenA.I. Sandbox++"), a cross-sector initiative led by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority ("HKMA"), the Securities and Futures Commission ("SFC"), the Insurance Authority ("IA") and the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority ("MPFA") as well as the Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited ("Cyberport") to promote the responsible adoption of Generative Artificial Intelligence ("GenAI") across the financial services sector. Two use cases from Manulife Hong Kong have been admitted to the programme, spanning the insurance and Mandatory Provident Fund ("MPF") sectors.

As one of only five insurers selected to join the GenA.I. Sandbox++, Manulife Hong Kong's participation further reinforces its long-standing commitment to the responsible adoption of AI and its strategic priority to become an AI-powered organization. The selection adds to the company’s recent inclusion as a Core Participating Insurer in the IA's AI Cohort Programme, while underscoring Manulife's growing role in advancing industry-wide collaboration and supporting Hong Kong's development as a regional hub for AI innovation.

On the insurance side, Manulife Hong Kong's BetterClaims AI was selected to explore how GenAI can enhance the customer claims experience by helping advisors provide timely answers to medical and critical illness claims enquiries with greater accuracy and confidence. Designed as an AI-powered claims knowledge assistant built on Manulife's approved policy content, the solution gives advisors timely, structured and clearly referenced access to relevant coverage information, policy definitions and claims guidelines at the point of customer engagement – all linked to authoritative source materials – enabling them to respond with greater accuracy and confidence.

Claims assessments and decisions remain firmly with qualified claims professionals, reflecting Manulife's commitment to responsible AI adoption underpinned by strong governance, transparency and human oversight. This helps customers receive clearer guidance, faster responses and more consistent support – even before a claim is filed – helping them better understand their coverage and navigate the claims process at some of life's most challenging moments.

"At Manulife, we believe AI should make insurance easier by empowering our people to serve customers better," said Wilton Kee, Chief Executive Officer of Manulife Hong Kong and Macau. "BetterClaims AI helps our advisors give customers clearer, more consistent answers when it matters most, while keeping human expertise, accountability and robust governance firmly at the centre. We are pleased to work with the local regulators and our technology partners to explore how GenAI can raise professional standards, elevate the customer experience and deliver benefits that extend across the wider industry."

On the retirement side, Manulife Hong Kong is proud to collaborate with Cyberport to create a GenAI-Assisted Red-Flag Tool for Intermediary Fraud Risk Review. This initiative demonstrates our commitment to leveraging innovation responsibly to enhance fraud risk oversight and drive smarter, more efficient review processes. Designed with strong governance, transparency and human oversight at its core, the solution helps investigators identify potential risk patterns associated with certain MPF-related transactions while putting members’ interests first and supporting a safer MPF investment experience. The solution leverages advanced AI, document intelligence and analytics capabilities to support the identification and monitoring of intermediary-related fraud risks. Importantly, it serves as a decision-support tool only and does not automate investigations or enforcement actions.

"As life expectancies increase and retirement needs evolve, we see it as our responsibility to help our customers plan and manage their financial future with greater confidence," said Jeanie Ho, Head of Hong Kong and Macau Retirement, Manulife. "We are exploring how AI can support the earlier identification of risk signals and enable more informed reviews, while keeping human judgement and accountability at the centre of every decision. We look forward to sharing our learnings through GenA.I. Sandbox++ and contributing to safer outcomes for MPF scheme members."

The GenA.I. Sandbox++ provides participating institutions with a controlled, risk-managed environment to test and pilot innovative AI use cases. As part of the programme, participants receive access to advanced computing resources through Cyberport's AI Supercomputing Centre, supporting experimentation and development while promoting responsible AI deployment across the financial sector. The initiative also encourages collaboration between financial institutions, technology providers and regulators to foster innovation and strengthen Hong Kong's fintech ecosystem.