Zurich launches AI lab

Zurich has launched the Zurich AI Lab to accelerate the development of scalable solutions that address real-world insurance challenges and “redefine” what customers can expect from their insurer.

The lab will tap into some of “Europe’s brightest minds” by working in collaboration with the Institute of Management & Strategy at the University of St. Gallen and ETH Zurich’s Agentic Systems Lab in a joint initiative based out of St. Gallen, Zurich, and Singapore.

A multidisciplinary team of PhD and master’s students will lead research efforts, guided by senior leaders from Zurich and professors from the University of St. Gallen and ETH Zurich. The Zurich AI Lab will provide academic freedom for University of St. Gallen and ETH Zurich, while accelerating Zurich’s innovation drive to develop and adopt new AI solutions. It will also publish academic papers on the transformative impact of AI on insurance, strategy and business models, using data and insights gained from its research.

“AI has proven its significant value by enabling us to better serve our customers, reduce response time, and deliver more accurate risk information. The Zurich AI Lab is our moonshot factory, bringing together market-leading business and technology expertise and cutting-edge research with one clear goal: to revolutionize our business model and pioneer the next generation of insurance solutions.” – Mario Greco, Group Chief Executive Officer, Zurich Insurance Group.

“AI will radically transform the business model of the insurance industry. Building on our deep expertise and cutting-edge research in business model innovation and incumbent disruption at the University of St. Gallen, we are excited to collaborate with Zurich, driving transformation, advancing new research, and contributing to society through impactful knowledge, innovation, and partnerships.” – Prof. Dr. Karolin Frankenberger, University of St. Gallen.

“The latest developments in Agentic AI challenge us to rethink not only how we solve complex problems, but also how we organize and build the solutions themselves. ETH Zurich students are at the forefront of this new wave, turning ideas into impactful real-world AI applications. This lab creates the bridge between this talent and a leading business to build what’s next.” – Prof. Dr. Elgar Fleisch, ETH Zurich.