Ms. Emily English reports

MANULIFE BECOMES THE FIRST IN CANADA TO OFFER TRAVEL INSURANCE QUOTES IN CHATGPT

Manulife Financial Corp. has launched a new CoverMe plugin in ChatGPT, making it easier for Canadians to explore travel insurance and receive a personalized quote. The launch effectively marks a first-of-its kind plugin in ChatGPT, as well as Manulife's first plugin in ChatGPT globally. Combining Manulife's leadership in travel insurance with its ambition to become an artificial-intelligence-powered organization, this plugin helps meet travellers in the digital experiences they already use to research and plan their trips.

Travel planning is happening increasingly in digital and AI-powered environments, creating new opportunities for brands to support customers earlier in the travel experience. The launch builds on Manulife's focus to leverage AI to improve customer experiences by making information and services easier to access when and where customers need them.

"Being a trusted travel companion means showing up for Canadians throughout their journey -- not just when they need to submit a claim," said Pamela Wong, head of affinity at Manulife. "By bringing CoverMe Travel to ChatGPT, we're meeting travellers where they're already researching and planning their trips, making it easier to explore their coverage options and plan with confidence."

The plugin was developed in alignment with Manulife's Responsible AI Principles, which help guide how AI solutions are designed, developed and deployed across services.

Helping travellers plan with confidence

This new plugin will help eligible travellers discover and explore protection in an increasingly AI-powered world, as Manulife helps shape new ways to make travel planning and protection simpler for Canadians.

Customers can enable the Manulife plugin in ChatGPT and answer a series of questions about their trip. The plugin then generates a personalized travel insurance quote. Customers can then complete their application and purchase through CoverMe.com. Travellers whose insurance needs require additional information or coverage options will also be directed to CoverMe.com for a more tailored quote experience.

"AI is changing how people discover, compare and make decisions, including how they plan for travel," said Jamie Campbell, head of AI Canada at Manulife. "As generative AI becomes increasingly part of everyday life for Canadians, we're focused on applying AI responsibly to make those moments simpler and more personalized for our customers. This launch -- Manulife's first plugin in ChatGPT globally -- demonstrates how we're using innovation to help Canadians access the information, products and support they need with greater ease and confidence."

The initiative reinforces Manulife's position as an industry leader in AI innovation. For two consecutive years, Manulife was recognized as the No. 1 life insurance company in North America and Europe for AI maturity in the Evident AI Insurance Index. For Canadians, the impact is simple: easier access to travel insurance information and personalized quotes, helping travellers plan with confidence before they leave home.

"Agentic commerce is quickly becoming a customer preference to find and choose products, and that shift is global," said Jodie Wallis, chief artificial intelligence officer, Manulife. "We've spent the past several years building the AI and data foundations to move at this speed, and this is the first time we're putting them directly in front of customers in a conversational channel. The foundations behind it are enterprise-wide, so what we learn here compounds across our markets."

The initial launch is available to eligible Canadian travellers purchasing CoverMe Travel Insurance and supports both English and French customer experiences.

About Manulife Financial Corp.

Manulife Financial is a leading international financial services provider, headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Anchored in the company's ambition to be the No. 1 choice for customers, the company operates as Manulife across Canada and Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, providing financial advice, insurance and health solutions for individuals, groups and businesses. Through Manulife Wealth & Asset Management, the company offers global investment solutions, financial advice, and retirement plan services to individuals, institutions and retirement plan members worldwide. At the end of 2025, the company had more than 37,000 employees, over 106,000 agents and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 37 million customers with operations across 25 markets globally. The company trades as MFC on the Toronto, New York and Philippine stock exchanges, and under 945 on the Hong Kong stock exchange.