Aviva to deploy AI summarisation tool to speed life underwriting
Aviva is set to roll out an AI summarisation tool to its underwriting teams from 28 November. The insurer believes it will be the first to bring this approach to market for individual life insurance.
The goal is straightforward: compress lengthy GP medical reports into clear, decision-ready summaries so underwriters can move faster without losing accuracy or care.
How it works
GP medical reports can run to 90+ pages. The new tool analyses the report and produces a concise summary, filtering out noise while surfacing the clinical details that matter for risk assessment.
Underwriters will review the AI-generated summary and still make the final decision. The tool speeds up the pre-analysis; the accountability stays with the human.
Rollout and early results
Aviva says the tool has been through eighteen months of testing and controls. In an active test phase, it processed 1,000 cases and showed clear improvements in turnaround times.
With deployment starting 28 November, the insurer expects faster file reviews and cleaner case progression, especially where reports previously stalled decisions.
Why this matters for underwriting teams
- Cycle time: Faster extraction of relevant medical details shortens the wait between evidence received and decision.
- Consistency: Standardised summaries reduce variation in how information is presented to underwriters.
- Capacity: Less time on triage and data sifting; more time on judgement and edge cases.
- Customer experience: Quicker decisions mean fewer follow-ups, fewer extensions, and clearer outcomes.
Controls, governance, and care
Aviva emphasises that underwriters remain in control of the decision. The tool assists; it doesn't replace judgement. That human-in-the-loop model also supports auditability and training.
For teams thinking about similar tools, make sure your controls cover data protection, consent, audit trails, and model monitoring. The UK ICO's guidance on AI and data protection is a useful reference point: read the guidance.
What Aviva said
"Protection underwriting in our industry has faced challenges for some time, with underwriters needing to review lengthy digital medical reports, which can be extremely time-consuming.
"I'm delighted that we're announcing how Aviva is leading the way with this exciting innovation, and the new summarisation tool will deliver real benefits for customers and underwriters alike. By leveraging generative AI responsibly, we're improving efficiency without compromising accuracy or care."
Practical next steps for insurers
- Update triage rules to clarify which cases should be summarised, escalated, or routed to specialist review.
- Define acceptance criteria for summaries (e.g., required clinical fields, red flags, and confidence thresholds).
- Track impact with clear metrics: time-to-decision, referral rates, NIGO rates, and customer comms SLAs.
- Strengthen model risk management: sampling, QA sign-off, drift monitoring, and incident response.
- Upskill teams on prompt review and critical reading of AI outputs to avoid over-reliance.
Further learning
If you're planning internal upskilling for underwriting, claims, or distribution teams, you may find this resource helpful: AI courses by job.
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