Aviva is preparing to launch a new app on ChatGPT that will allow users to obtain home insurance quotes through a conversational interface, marking its first collaboration with OpenAI, and a move that may raise eyebrows among insurance brokers.
The app, expected to go live in the coming weeks, is designed to provide an initial quote for Aviva’s Signature home insurance product within minutes. Users will be asked a series of standard underwriting questions - such as name, address, contact details and the type of cover required (buildings, contents or combined) - before receiving a quote.
If customers choose to proceed, they will be redirected to Aviva’s website to complete the purchase, including selecting policy limits, adding optional cover and reviewing documentation.
The launch reflects an expansion of distribution into large language model (LLM) platforms, with the app set to be available through the ChatGPT app marketplace. Aviva said the initiative is aimed at customers increasingly using AI tools for everyday tasks, including financial product research and purchasing.
Initially, the functionality won’t impact brokers as it will be limited to quoting for Aviva’s Signature home insurance product, which is currently sold directly via online and telephone channels. However, the insurer has indicated it will assess how customers interact with the tool before considering broader applications across other products.
Aviva’s move comes amid a growing number of insurers and insurtechs testing AI-driven interfaces for distribution and customer engagement. In recent months, firms including Allianz and AXA have outlined investments in generative AI to support underwriting, claims and customer service, while other digital-first providers have explored chatbot-led sales journeys.
Back in February, OpenAI approved the first artificial intelligence application from an insurance provider on ChatGPT, enabling users to receive personalised home insurance quotes within the conversational interface. The application was developed by Spanish digital insurer Tuio and powered by WaniWani's AI distribution infrastructure.
The use of LLMs in insurance distribution has also raised questions around regulatory compliance, customer understanding and the boundary between information and advice. Industry bodies and regulators have signalled that while AI may streamline customer journeys, firms remain responsible for ensuring that disclosures, suitability and consumer protection requirements are met.
There are also considerations around data accuracy and the potential for misinterpretation of customer inputs, particularly in more complex lines of business. As a result, most current implementations - including Aviva’s - retain a final step that directs customers to traditional digital channels to complete purchases.
While still at an early stage, the use of AI platforms as a distribution channel is expected to develop further as insurers test customer demand and refine use cases. Aviva’s launch provides an example of how insurers are beginning to integrate quoting and engagement tools into third-party AI ecosystems, alongside existing channels such as direct, broker and aggregator distribution.
The rollout will provide an initial indication of how customers interact with insurance products via conversational AI, and whether this model gains traction as part of broader digital distribution strategies.
