Press Release, 29 October 2025
Global insurer Zurich Insurance Group is stepping into a new era with the unveiling of its dedicated AI Lab, an initiative designed to take artificial intelligence from pilot projects into the core of insurance operations. The Lab, led by CEO Mario Greco, brings together top-tier academic partners — the University of St. Gallen and ETH Zurich’s Agentic Systems Lab — and will operate across locations in St Gallen, Zurich and Singapore.
The aim is clear: leverage AI not just to refine existing processes, but to fundamentally transform how insurance is offered and experienced. By assembling multidisciplinary teams of PhD- and master-level researchers, and integrating them with Zurich’s industry knowledge and tech expertise, the Lab will explore real-world applications—from faster claims handling to smarter risk assessment and more personalised customer interactions. According to Greco, the Lab functions as a “moonshot factory” and spells a strategic pivot: moving from incremental improvement to innovation that could redefine Zurich’s business model.
In practical terms, this means Zurich intends to publish academic findings, accelerate the deployment of scalable AI solutions, and enable its academic collaborators to pursue research with freedom, while staying anchored in commercial relevance. The partnership signals how insurers are increasingly seeing AI as a core driver of future competitiveness—rather than an optional add-on. With this step, Zurich positions itself at the forefront of industry transformation and signals to customers and competitors alike that the insurance of tomorrow is likely to look very different.
Source: Zurich
