How AI and Data are Transforming Employee Benefits Platforms

How AI and Data are Transforming Employee Benefits Platforms
July 7, 2026 8 mins

How AI and Data are Transforming Employee Benefits Platforms

Technology, Data and AI are Transforming How Employees Receive Benefits

Employee benefits and total rewards platforms are redefining the employee experience through the combination of connected data, intelligent delivery and new technology. This trend is fundamentally changing how employees understand, access and use their benefits.

Key Takeaways
  1. There is a growing gap between the benefits employers offer and what employees actually experience. However, this gap can close with the potential of using new forms of technology.
  2. Combining technology and data can help employers anticipate their employees’ needs, guide preventative care and deliver support when it matters most. This can result in healthier, more engaged employees.
  3. While adoption is still in early stages, strong governance, trust and data protection are critical to scaling AI-enhanced benefits platforms effectively.

Despite significant investments in employee benefits, many organizations continue to face the persistent challenge of employees who are unaware of, or disengaged from, the benefits available to them. This disconnect between perceived value and actual coverage erodes return on investment, negatively impacting health, wellbeing and performance.  

“The issue is rarely the quality of the benefits themselves, but how they are experienced,” says Jon Bryant, Global Head of Employee Experience, Human Capital, United Kingdom. “Fragmented systems, disconnected data and complex user journeys make it difficult for employees to find, understand and use what’s available to them.” 

Fewer than one in five organizations report a clearly understood employee value proposition (EVP), according to Aon’s 2026 Human Capital Trends Study. This underscores the challenge of ensuring benefits are both visible and valued. More personalized, technology-enabled benefits experiences are key. 

Artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced data analytics are beginning to close the gap between real and perceived value. However, many employers are in the early stages of integrating AI into the employee experience and their benefits and total rewards platforms. Our research from the Human Capital Trends Study underscores this reality:

  • Only 13% of organizations currently use AI-powered virtual benefits assistance, such as chatbots or automated claims support, while 37% are planning to adopt it.
  • Just 11% currently use AI for personalized benefits and rewards decision support, with 29% planning implementation.
  • More broadly, organizations are experimenting with AI across the employee experience, from communications to recruitment, but most remain in a “plan to adopt” phase. 

The ambition for AI-enabled experiences is high, but execution is catching up. At the same time, employee expectations continue to rise. Only 41% of employees globally currently experience personalized benefits, despite 72% wanting it,1 highlighting the urgency for organizations to move beyond static, one-size-fits-all programs and toward personalized benefits. 

This shift is not powered by AI or front-end innovation alone. It starts with building stronger foundations, where structured data, intelligent delivery and AI work together to create experiences that are more connected, functional and ultimately, more effective. 

How Digital Benefits Platforms Enable Personalized Benefits 

Digital benefits platforms are the gateway for delivering tailored, AI-powered benefits experiences. By streamlining administration and enabling end-to-end interaction from enrollment to claims, these platforms reduce friction and improve engagement. It’s more than just digitizing administration. They enable a more connected and consistent delivery of benefits, reducing complexity and creating a more seamless experience for both employees and HR teams. 

Improved technology now streamlines the process by eliminating tab-switching, third-party logins and manual approvals. Employees can manage benefits — whether it’s enrollment, benefit updates or filing claims — directly on the platform, ensuring greater engagement and control without leaving the system. With voice or text, employees can ask anything from: "Can you help me understand my retirement plan?" to “At what level are my dependents covered for my medical insurance?" and receive clear, immediate support. Even complex benefits decisions are now simple and approachable thanks to AI-enhanced platforms. 

With platforms such as Activate, Aon’s employee benefits and total rewards platform, the experience shifts from static access to guided interaction. AI-led prompts and recommendations create a unified, intuitive benefits journey for all employees. 

Technology can also improve employees' understanding of their benefits and total rewards. Only a quarter of employees at multinationals report understanding their benefits.2 AI-driven capabilities within benefits platforms are beginning to address this by delivering: 

  • Contextual prompts and nudges 
  • Personalized recommendations based on life stage or risk profile 
  • Real-time personalized answers to both simple and complex benefits questions 

60%

of multinational employees say technology is a critical component of delivering benefits choice.

Source: Aon’s 2025 Employee Sentiment Study

Examples of Aon’s Activate Platform on Desktop and Mobile
Examples of Aon’s Activate Platform on Desktop and Mobile

72%

of employees globally say benefits customization is important or extremely important to them.

Source: Aon’s 2025 Employee Sentiment Study

Boosting Employee Engagement at Deloitte UK

Case Study

Boosting Engagement with an AI Powered Benefits Platform

A multinational organization partnered with Aon to improve its benefits strategy after facing low benefits satisfaction, a 10.19% attrition rate, and compensation and benefits concerns among more than half of departing employees. The client unified its benefits under Aon’s employee benefits and total rewards platform, introduced a Total Rewards Statement and simplified the user experience. Following these changes, there was a significant increase in employees’ engagement with their benefits, with 88% accessing the platform and 76% making benefit selections. The platform’s rating jumped to 4.03, help desk queries dropped by 63% and the proportion of employees who reported leaving due to pay fell from over 50% to under 30%.

Using Technology to Find and Close Benefits Gaps 

Most digital benefits platforms expect employees to preemptively log in and search for information or support. Newer capabilities shift the benefits delivery model from reactive to proactive. By combining data and analytics within AI-enhanced benefits platforms, employers can target communication to certain employee groups that would thrive from a change in their benefit plan.  

Here are some examples of proactive outreach on benefits: 

  • An analysis using Aon’s Health Risk Analyzer could reveal that 10% of a workforce is at increased risk for a certain type of cancer. An intelligent campaign can proactively reach this group with information about screening, education and available support. 
  • Data-driven campaigns can identify women approaching menopause or those returning from maternity leave, connecting them with personalized support such as flexible work arrangements and dedicated health resources. 
  • By analyzing benefits utilization, employers can uncover affordability and access gaps. For example, an analysis could find that women tend to pay more out-of-pocket for healthcare and retire with less savings. With these insights, organizations can adjust benefits design to ensure all employees, especially women, have access to appropriate care and financial support when they need it most. 
Quote icon

Employees may not know all the benefits available to them or think of making changes until it’s too late. Proactively reaching employees based on their individual situations, preferences and data-driven risk factors is an important way to use technology to help them choose the right benefits for their circumstances.

Andrew Krawczyk
Market Leader, Human Capital, Europe, the Middle East and Africa

Why Trust and Governance Matter When Using AI in Benefits 

As adoption accelerates, trust and governance are critical. Organizations must carefully manage data security, regulatory compliance and long-term accountability to ensure AI enhances understanding rather than introducing uncertainty.  

“Building trust isn’t just about compliance; it is fundamental to fostering confidence in new tools and platforms,” says David Kirk, Growth Leader, Technology and Health, Health Solutions, United Kingdom.  

In a benefits context, this means grounding AI in clear rules and strong governance frameworks. The most effective AI experiences are purposeful and controlled, designed to simplify complexity without compromising transparency or confidence.

Delivering Better Benefits Experience and Outcomes 

The future of benefits will not be defined by AI alone, but by how effectively organizations combine data, intelligent delivery and technology to create more intuitive and connected experiences. When these foundations are in place, benefits become easier to understand, easier to use and more aligned to employee needs. For employers, this creates something equally important: a benefits experience that is not only better to use, but better able to deliver measurable impact. 

Discover how Activate, Aon’s total rewards and employee benefits platform, can enhance employee experience and engagement, increase utilization and improve employee health and business outcomes for your organization. Learn more. 

Aon’s Thought Leaders

Jon Bryant
Global Head of Employee Experience, Human Capital, United Kingdom

With contributions from David Kirk, Andrew Krawczyk, Rice Loh, Ana Machado and Andy Seabrook-Harris.

1 Aon’s 2025 Employee Sentiment Study
2 Aon’s 2026 Human Capital Trends Study

General Disclaimer

This document is not intended to address any specific situation or to provide legal, regulatory, financial, or other advice. While care has been taken in the production of this document, Aon does not warrant, represent or guarantee the accuracy, adequacy, completeness or fitness for any purpose of the document or any part of it and can accept no liability for any loss incurred in any way by any person who may rely on it. Any recipient shall be responsible for the use to which it puts this document. This document has been compiled using information available to us up to its date of publication and is subject to any qualifications made in the document.

Terms of Use

The contents herein may not be reproduced, reused, reprinted or redistributed without the expressed written consent of Aon, unless otherwise authorized by Aon. To use information contained herein, please write to our team.

Aon's Better Being Podcast

Our Better Being podcast series, hosted by Aon Chief Wellbeing Officer Rachel Fellowes, explores wellbeing strategies and resilience. This season we cover human sustainability, kindness in the workplace, how to measure wellbeing, managing grief and more.

Aon Insights Series Asia

Expert Views on Today's Risk Capital and Human Capital Issues

Aon Insights Series Pacific

Expert Views on Today's Risk Capital and Human Capital Issues

Aon Insights Series UK

Expert Views on Today's Risk Capital and Human Capital Issues

Client Trends 2025

Better Decisions Across Interconnected Risk and People Issues.

Construction and Infrastructure

The construction industry is under pressure from interconnected risks and notable macroeconomic developments. Learn how your organization can benefit from construction insurance and risk management.

Cyber Resilience

Our Cyber Resilience collection gives you access to Aon’s latest insights on the evolving landscape of cyber threats and risk mitigation measures. Reach out to our experts to discuss how to make the right decisions to strengthen your organization’s cyber resilience.

Employee Wellbeing

Our Employee Wellbeing collection gives you access to the latest insights from Aon's human capital team. You can also reach out to the team at any time for assistance with your employee wellbeing needs.

Environmental, Social and Governance Insights

Explore Aon's latest environmental social and governance (ESG) insights.

Q4 2023 Global Insurance Market Insights

Our Global Insurance Market Insights highlight insurance market trends across pricing, capacity, underwriting, limits, deductibles and coverages.

Global Risk Management Survey

Better Decisions Across Interconnected Risk and People Issues.

Regional Results

How do the top risks on business leaders’ minds differ by region and how can these risks be mitigated? Explore the regional results to learn more.

Impact Report 2025

Explore Aon's corporate sustainability impact and strategy.

Top 10 Global Risks

Trade, technology, weather and workforce stability are the central forces in today’s risk landscape.

Industry Insights

These industry-specific articles explore the top risks, their underlying drivers and the actions leaders are taking to build resilience.

Human Capital Analytics

Our Human Capital Analytics collection gives you access to the latest insights from Aon's human capital team. Contact us to learn how Aon’s analytics capabilities helps organizations make better workforce decisions.

Human Capital Quarterly Insights Briefs

Read our collection of human capital articles that explore in depth hot topics for HR and risk professionals, including using data and analytics to measure total rewards programs, how HR and finance can better partner and the impact AI will have on the workforce.

Insights for HR

Explore our hand-picked insights for human resources professionals.

Workforce

Our Workforce Collection provides access to the latest insights from Aon’s Human Capital team on topics ranging from health and benefits, retirement and talent practices. You can reach out to our team at any time to learn how we can help address emerging workforce challenges.

Mergers and Acquisitions

Our Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) collection gives you access to the latest insights from Aon's thought leaders to help dealmakers make better decisions. Explore our latest insights and reach out to the team at any time for assistance with transaction challenges and opportunities.

Natural Resources and Energy Transition

The challenges in adopting renewable energy are changing with technological advancements, increasing market competition and numerous financial support mechanisms. Learn how your organization can benefit from our renewables solutions. 

Navigating Volatility

How do businesses navigate their way through new forms of volatility and make decisions that protect and grow their organizations?

Parametric Insurance

Our Parametric Insurance Collection provides ways your organization can benefit from this simple, straightforward and fast-paying risk transfer solution. Reach out to learn how we can help you make better decisions to manage your catastrophe exposures and near-term volatility.

Pay Transparency and Equity

Our Pay Transparency and Equity collection gives you access to the latest insights from Aon's human capital team on topics ranging from pay equity to diversity, equity and inclusion. Contact us to learn how we can help your organization address these issues.

Property Risk Management

Forecasters are predicting an extremely active 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. Take measures to build resilience to mitigate risk for hurricane-prone properties.

Technology

Our Technology Collection provides access to the latest insights from Aon's thought leaders on navigating the evolving risks and opportunities of technology. Reach out to the team to learn how we can help you use technology to make better decisions for the future.

Trade

Our Trade Collection gives you access to the latest insights from Aon's thought leaders on navigating the evolving risks and opportunities for international business. Reach out to our team to understand how to make better decisions around macro trends and why they matter to businesses.

Transaction Solutions Global Claims Study

Better Decisions Across Interconnected Risk and People Issues.

Weather

With a changing climate, organizations in all sectors will need to protect their people and physical assets, reduce their carbon footprint, and invest in new solutions to thrive. Our Weather Collection provides you with critical insights to be prepared.

Workforce Resilience

Our Workforce Resilience collection gives you access to the latest insights from Aon's Human Capital team. You can reach out to the team at any time for questions about how we can assess gaps and help build a more resilience workforce.

More Like This

View All
  • Casualty Risk Is Rewriting Balance Sheet Exposure

    Article 4 mins

    Casualty Risk Is Rewriting Balance Sheet Exposure

    Liability severity is rising, volatility is increasing and many companies are retaining more casualty risk than they were a decade ago – often without changing how that exposure is measured, financed or reflected in capital decisions.

  • Closing the Cyber Risk Protection Gap

    Article 10 mins

    Cyber Risk is Growing Faster Than Risk Transfer

    Cyber investment has grown rapidly, but insurance remains a marginal share of total cyber spend. As cyber losses drive larger operational and financial outcomes, many organizations continue to retain significant volatility on their balance sheets.

View All
Subscribe CTA Banner