Company Announcements

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Faster access to life insurance coverage will help Canadian families get protected sooner 

Part of Manulife's market-leading AI capabilities to deliver innovative, customer-first solutions

TORONTO , Jan. 29, 2026 /CNW/ - Manulife has introduced a redesigned electronic application and an enhanced version of its proprietary AI underwriting engine, MAUDE (Manulife Automated Underwriting Decision Engine). Together, these innovations enable automatic approvals in as little as two minutes for qualified applicants, helping Canadians access coverage faster and with less complexity.

The enhanced application streamlines the process of applying coverage, and builds on Manulife's position as an AI market leader. Designed to support advisors as they guide clients through the questionnaire, its new intelligent features improve usability – helping MAUDE make faster decisions and enabling underwriters to review complex cases more efficiently. 

By accelerating access to protection, these improvements reinforce Manulife's mission to help Canadians live longer, healthier, better lives – supported by responsible, transparent, and customer-first AI.

"Since launching last fall, advisor adoption has been strong. By December, more than half of eligible cases – 58 per cent – had approvals processed automatically through MAUDE, a 56 per cent increase from pre-launch," said Karen Cutler, Chief Underwriter, Manulife Canada. "By combining smarter questions with advanced AI, we're delivering a faster, more intuitive experience – without compromising on quality or protection."

The new reflexive question format was designed to feel like a first conversation with a doctor, helping gather the right information quickly for accurate decisions. If an application cannot be approved automatically, it's seamlessly escalated to a human underwriter for review, ensuring every applicant receives personalized consideration.

Key enhancements include:

• Up to 40% fewer medical questions: Streamlined to remove unnecessary items and less relevant "body system" questions, such as lengthy lists about cardiovascular or respiratory conditions, aligning with current best practices, improving clarity, and making the application quicker and easier to complete.
• Adaptive questions: The form is automatically tailored based on age, coverage amount, and responses, reducing complexity and saving time.
• Drop-down menus for common topics: Advisors can select from predefined options for areas like travel and hobbies, speeding up data entry.
• Medication and condition pick lists: Standardized lists improve consistency and help the system process applications more efficiently.
• Flexible for paramedical cases: Advisors can choose whether to complete the medical section when a paramedical exam is required.

These enhancements are enabled by MAUDE and reflect Manulife's continued leadership in digital innovation. Originally introduced in 2018 as Artificial Intelligence Decision Algorithm (AIDA), the first AI tool in Canada to make automatic underwriting decisions, MAUDE has evolved into a more sophisticated engine that delivers faster, more efficient approvals.

"We've been doing this longer than anyone in the industry, and that experience has allowed us to build one of Canada's most advanced AI underwriting engines," said Jodie Wallis, Global Chief AI Officer at Manulife. "Every enhancement is grounded in our Responsible AI Principles, so advisors and clients can feel confident that decisions are accurate and responsible."

Manulife's Responsible AI Principles guide every enhancement, ensuring fairness and trust.

Manulife was recently named the #1 life insurance company for AI maturity in the inaugural Evident AI Index for Insurance, reinforcing the company's commitment to innovation and customer-centric solutions. For Canadians, the impact of this redesigned life insurance application is simple: faster access to coverage means families can be protected more quickly and with less stress.

Manulife has been actively investing in and scaling AI capabilities since 2016. In the past three years, the firm has significantly increased the value enabled through advanced analytics and AI by expanding its AI solutions portfolio and increasing efficiency through data and AI platform investmentsⁱ, all driven by the company's responsible AI framework. Manulife expects AI to generate $1 billion+ of enterprise value by 2027, with roughly one-fifth expected to come from improved efficiency.

To learn more about Manulife's AI progress, visit AI @ Manulife.

Advisors can access demos and training resources for the redesigned electronic life insurance application on the Manulife Advisor Portal.

About Manulife

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping our customers make their decisions easier and lives better. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada, we operate as Manulife across Canada, Asia, and Europe, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, providing financial advice and insurance for individuals, groups and businesses. Through Manulife Wealth & Asset Management, we offer global investment, financial advice, and retirement plan services to individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. At the end of 2024, we had more than 37,000 employees, over 109,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 36 million customers. We trade as 'MFC' on the Toronto, New York, and the Philippine stock exchanges, and under '945' in Hong Kong. 

Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulife.com.

Media contact
Laura Crochetiere
Manulife Canada
Laura_Crochetiere@manulife.com

SOURCE Manulife Financial Corporation