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New York Life appoints Chubb AI platform head as chief AI officer
The chief AI officer role will cover New York Life’s AI platform strategy and the development of agentic AI tools for agents and advisors, separate from the firm’s chief information officer.
New York Life has named Zhen Zhao as its chief AI officer, tasking him with overseeing the company’s AI strategy, platform development, and deployment of agentic AI and machine learning capabilities, according to Insurance Business.
Zhao joins from Chubb, where he served as senior vice president and global head of AI Platform, and the appointment highlights growing competition among insurers for AI leadership that can operate within insurance governance and product environments.
At New York Life, the CAIO role is positioned separately from the chief information officer post, held by Deepa Soni, who said the firm intends to apply AI to how agents and advisors serve clients over the long term.
The outlet also links the hire to broader industry momentum, citing IBM’s 2026 CEO study that found the share of organizations with a chief AI officer has risen to 76% from 26% a year earlier, and an Accenture survey showing insurance organizations plan to increase AI spending in 2026, with agentic AI among the top investment priorities.