In an era where digitalization and technological innovation drive business development, Topdanmark stands out as a pioneer in the insurance industry. With the launch of the TopGPT chatbot, which leverages generative AI technology from OpenAI, the company has taken a significant and meaningful step towards optimizing customer service and internal processes. We spoke with Kasper Tjørntved Davidsen, CIO at Topdanmark, about this groundbreaking project and the strategic considerations behind it.
Massive Transformation
The project is a “small” part of a massive IT transformation that began several years ago and will continue for years to come, with a budget estimated at around 3 billion DKK. It is a task that impacts the very core of how Topdanmark operates. “It represents a fundamental reinvention of the way we conduct business. With this technology, we aim to optimize the entire customer experience.”
From Idea to Reality
TopGPT was born out of a vision to deliver faster and more efficient customer service. When OpenAI launched ChatGPT, Topdanmark immediately saw the potential. Kasper Tjørntved Davidsen explains: “It was quite clear that this was something special. Given the technological leap, there was no doubt that the potential was enormous.” This potential was integrated into Topdanmark’s ‘digital first’ strategy, with an ambitious goal for the solution to handle 80 percent of all customer inquiries within 20 seconds.
A Strong Background in Strategy and Leadership
Kasper Tjørntved Davidsen has an impressive career with several successful projects and leadership roles in technology and digital transformation. With experience from companies such as KMD, Leman, and Nets, he is now the CIO and part of the executive management team at Topdanmark, responsible for executing the company’s strategy in the digital domain.
In fact, it was shortly after Kasper had completed the Scandinavian Executive Institute’s “Executive Management Programme” (EMP) in 2021 that he was headhunted by Topdanmark.
The EMP program focuses on strategy, innovation, and leadership, and has been a crucial resource in Kasper’s role as CIO. “Participating in the EMP provided me with the essential tools and perspectives to address complex strategic challenges and lead innovative projects,” Kasper explains.
He highlights the strategic frameworks and tools he gained during the EMP and recalls the experience as thoroughly positive and valuable—particularly in navigating the various phases of the Chat project and ensuring its success.
How TopGPT Works
TopGPT operates using a mixed models approach involving both GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 models. When a customer submits a request, a bot first evaluates the prompt to ensure it is correct and free of sensitive personal information. The AI then determines which model to use: GPT-4 for general questions and GPT-3.5 for insurance-specific inquiries. This strategy ensures that responses are both accurate and relevant.
The Human Chatbot: The Brunsviger Experience
One of the most unique aspects of TopGPT is Kasper’s focus on making the chatbot as human-like as possible. He refers to this as the “Brunsviger Experience.” During development, Kasper asked, “Okay, but can it give me a good recipe for Brunsviger?”
This simple question led to an important insight: to create a chatbot that could deliver both precise, insurance-specific answers and general, human-like interactions, they needed to alternate between GPT-3.5 and GPT-4. This strategy ensures that TopGPT can handle everything from complex insurance queries to friendly conversations about Brunsviger recipes. In other words, the chatbot not only provides accurate answers but also creates an empathetic and personal experience for customers, making interactions both warm and engaging.
Technological Choices and Challenges
The implementation of TopGPT has not been without challenges. Kasper Tjørntved Davidsen emphasizes the importance of tailoring the technology to Topdanmark’s specific needs: “When you get them out of the box, you just get a standard solution. It’s all the customizations you add that create the value.” This required extensive work with prompt engineering to ensure that the chatbot only answers relevant questions and avoids unwanted topics.
A crucial decision was the choice of cloud platform. Kasper highlights that, in his view, Microsoft offers the most mature and compliant platform, which is essential for ensuring data confidentiality and legal compliance. He notes, however, that the AI technology market is evolving rapidly and that many changes are expected in the future.
Future Perspectives and Considerations
Kasper is enthusiastic about the technology but also expresses skepticism towards open-source Large Language Models (LLMs), as they can pose greater security risks. Throughout the interview, Kasper voices his concerns about giving technology too much leeway—particularly regarding its impact on children. “It concerns me deeply. In fact, it concerns me more and more, and I believe that all stakeholders should take responsibility. But that might be another interview,” he adds.
It needs to make sense
With TopGPT, Topdanmark has not only enhanced the customer experience but also laid the groundwork for a technological revolution in the insurance industry.
Kasper Tjørntved Davidsen looks optimistically towards the future, emphasizing that Topdanmark remains open to adapting to new developments in AI technology.
“But only if it makes sense in relation to the strategy and enhances customer satisfaction throughout the entire customer journey.”
