• by Aaron Baar , January 10, 2017

Insurance may be getting a little friendlier on the phone. GEICO, home of the British-speaking spokes-lizard, is launching a voice-responsive virtual assistant named Kate that will answer consumers’ questions about their policies and the industry in general. 

The bot is part of the insurance company’s mobile app (currently available on iOS devices; soon to come on Android) and is designed to make navigating the sometimes complex world of insurance a bit easier. Kate has been programed to know the ins and outs of insurance in general and can dispense specific policy information as well.

Rather than go with something antiseptic, the company created Kate to have a personality, including the ability to reveal details about herself if asked. The experience is meant to create a “friendly and natural interaction,” according to Pete Meoli, GEICO’s mobile and digital experience director. 

“Interactive voice assistant technology has altered the way customers interact with their mobile devices,” Meoli said in a statement. “Kate is very intuitive and has been programmed to connect with policyholders at a deeper level.”

Questions submitted to GEICO about the development of the bot (including why the company went with a separate personality and not its well-known gecko character) were not answered by our deadline.