How AI is helping Sun Life strengthen human connection

Across industries, organizations are racing to adopt artificial intelligence (AI). At Sun Life, the ambition goes deeper than deploying new tools. Our focus is on using AI in ways that support people by strengthening judgment, improving experiences and reinforcing trust at scale so we can better deliver on our Purpose: helping Clients achieve lifetime financial security and live healthier lives.

Laura Money, Executive Vice-President and Chief Information and Technology Innovation Officer at Sun Life, leads the company’s enterprise approach to generative AI. Her priority is helping Employees feel confident using AI in their day-to-day work, while ensuring that accountability, empathy and human oversight remain central.

“We really want to make sure that every Employee has the confidence to leverage generative AI to do their roles as best as they possibly can,” says Laura.

That confidence doesn’t come from theory alone. It’s built through hands-on learning, real-world practice and access to secure internal tools that allow teams to experiment safely.

Building confidence at scale

One of the cornerstones of Sun Life’s AI strategy is Sun Life Asks, an internal generative AI platform that allows Employees to explore AI-powered search and content creation using secure company data. Employees can test ideas, find information faster and build familiarity all within clear guardrails.

“We’re giving our teams hands-on experience with AI in a safe, guided way,” Laura explains. “The guardrails are there so humans always stay in the driver’s seat.”

By embedding responsible AI directly into how work gets done, Sun Life is scaling confidence across the organization not just among technologists, but across functions.

This approach reflects a broader shift in how technology supports the business.

“We are long past the days when technology was simply an enabler,” says Laura. “Today, technology is how we do business.”

Keeping humans in the loop

At Sun Life, AI is designed to elevate human judgment, not replace it.

“AI elevates our team’s judgment, it doesn’t replace it,” Laura says. “Trust is the foundation of our business, and our Clients expect personal care and accountability. That’s something we’ll never outsource to an algorithm.”

AI is being applied to tasks that benefit most from speed and consistency – summarizing information, reviewing documents or capturing notes – while people focus on insight, relationships and decision-making.

One example is a generative AI–powered Notes Assistant, developed through close collaboration between advisors, technology teams, compliance partners and business leaders. The tool automatically captures meeting notes, allowing advisors to stay focused on conversations rather than paperwork.

The impact is tangible: advisors are saving valuable time in every meeting – time that can be reinvested where it matters most.

“Technology helps us eliminate rework and accelerate delivery,” Laura says. “But we’re always focused on Client value and experience.”

Turning efficiency into empathy

The efficiencies created by AI are not the end goal. They’re a means to something more human.

“When we remove routine work, it creates what we sometimes call an empathy dividend,” says Laura.

That dividend shows up when advisors, care teams and relationship managers can spend more time listening, understanding context and responding with care, especially during life’s most important moments.

In financial services, those moments often involve navigating health challenges, planning for retirement or supporting loved ones. While AI can simplify processes, trust is built through human connection.

“AI is great at handling mundane tasks,” Laura says. “But when someone is in a time of great need, they want to talk to a person, someone who understands their context and responds with empathy. Trust is built between people, not algorithms.”

Responsible innovation by design

Sun Life’s approach to AI is grounded in strong governance and responsible use. Clear frameworks help teams move quickly on lower risk use cases while maintaining safeguards for privacy, fairness and security.

“By co-creating solutions across the business, we embed responsibility from the start,” Laura says.

That balance, moving fast while staying grounded in trust, is what allows Sun Life to innovate at enterprise scale without losing sight of what matters most.

Strengthening relationships that matter

At Sun Life, AI is not about replacing the human touch. It’s about protecting it.

By combining hands-on learning, responsible governance and a strong belief in keeping humans in the loop, Sun Life is using AI to create space for better conversations, stronger relationships and more meaningful support.

“In the end, our Clients get better, more seamless experiences because we designed those solutions with the Client at the centre .”