Progressive Insurance debuts AI-powered Facebook chatbot
US insurance giant Progressive has launched Flo Chatbot, an artificial intelligence-powered chatbot integrated with Facebook. The bot, named after the company's fictional spokeswoman, will be accessible via Progessive's Facebook page. It will offer prospective customers quotes, while also allowing existing policyholders to ask questions regarding their coverage. "By creating the Flo Chatbot for Messenger we are able to make the process of getting an auto quote as simple as possible by talking with [our customers] exactly where they are", said Customer Acquisition Leader Dan Witalec.

The Progressive Corp. headquarters is seen in Mayfield Village, Ohio on Wednesday, January 18, 2006. John Quinn/Bloomberg News

Progressive Insurance has launched a Flo Chatbot on Facebook Messenger to communicate with policyholders and offer quotes to prospective customers on social media.

The artificial intelligence tool is now available to 1.4 billion monthly active Messenger users via Flo’s Facebook fan page, according to the company. A Progressive representative will also be available to carry on conversations through phone or private message in the event the AI bot cannot answer particular questions.

Progressive says it will continue to enhance its AI technology over time as it learns from customer inquiries. To begin with, Flo Chatbot will only answer basic questions around deductibles, claim status and the quoting process.

"We know our customers are busy and they're looking for convenient ways to access information about insurance," said Dan Witalec, customer acquisition leader at Progressive, in a statement. "By creating the Flo Chatbot for Messenger we are able to make the process of getting an auto quote as simple as possible by talking with them exactly where they are."