Digital Human Avatar: 24/7 reliable customer support incorporating generative AI and risk governance Qorus-NTT DATA Innovation in Insurance Awards 2026

Concept and objectives:

- Reduce time-related stresses such as customers not being able to contact the call center outside business hours, and provide a customer-oriented experience rather than a merely mechanical response to customer inquiries.

- Create new customer value with generative AI, simultaneously improving customer satisfaction and transforming business operations. Establish a competitive edge by improving cost efficiency and boosting proposal capabilities.

- Integrate both defense (AI risk governance) and offense (agile implementation). Contribute to the ongoing scaling up of safe, high-quality deployment of generative AI across society.

Background:

The rapid evolution of generative AI technology is making business transformation premised on generative AI unavoidable. As consultation needs, work patterns, and lifestyles have diversified, inquiries have become more unevenly distributed between busy peaks and quieter off-peak periods. At the same time, labor shortages have made it difficult to expand capacity while maintaining quality.

To resolve these issues and help us provide a moving experience and improved service quality, we started planning and developing services using generative AI in the policy service and insurance solicitation areas. The aim was to improve 24/7 responsiveness, consistent quality, and operational efficiency at the same time.

Competition status:

This project represents a globally pioneering production release of a commercial application combining generative AI with avatar technology. It is virtually unprecedented in the insurance industry. The innovation has established a prime-mover advantage through standardized operations that meet legal, privacy, and security requirements.

Sources of inspiration:

- Customer expectations for always-available service, the need for a system that maintains quality even in peak periods, and the need to respond to the structural issue of society-wide labor shortages.

Relevant departments: The AI/Data Analytics Department (now AX Strategy Management Department and AX Development Department) and 13 other departments including the Information Management Promotion Department and the Enterprise Risk Management Department in the second line

Major achievements to date:

- Rolled out customer services using avatars (voice/text). Support provided for some policy maintenance procedures, including identity verification, address changes, surname changes, and acceptance of cancellation request forms.

- In the insurance solicitation area, the innovation conducts customer surveys about intentions and introduces products in advance, and shares the information with shop staff to facilitate proposals during shop visits.

- Revised the Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) Regulations to add definition for “AI risk.” Formulated “AI Risk Management Regulations” and “AI Risk Management Procedures” and established an AI Risk Management Subcommittee under the ERM Committee. Integrated operations to comprise both risk-based approach and lifecycle management.

- Coordinated with internal and external stakeholders to meet regulatory, privacy, and security requirements for production release.

- Increase in media exposure and requests for information from other companies confirm the revolutionary and advanced nature of the innovation. Serves as an industry reference