Legal & General is considering bringing a selfie-based life cover app into the UK after success in the US.
Called selfiequote.com, the app allows the user to take a selfie with their device, and based on the picture it estimates one's age, BMI and provides an indicative price for term assurance.
Mark Holweger, managing director of Legal & General Insurance, said the app was one of several developments to help make technology a tool for bridging the protection gap.
He said: "We have an old adage in the industry that protection is sold, not bought but I think this is a self-imposed obstacle.
"With all the technological innovation available, we can break this obstacle down and help provide advisers with tools to start that protection conversation.
"The selfie app, which we are using in the US and looking to bring into the UK, is an example of this.
"It's basically an engagement model that can break down the misconception that protection is expensive, and act as a stimulant with millennials in particular to help them think about taking out protection."
Mr Holweger said the launch of SelfieQuote in the UK is likely to be this year.
Damian O'Connor, managing director at Roxburgh Financial Management, said: "If the tech can engage people in protecting themselves and their families, it’s a good thing.
"It does need to be reliable as there’s no point giving someone a quote if the recognition software is way off and needs to ask a whole other bunch of questions too.
"It would be interesting to see what data comes out of this initiative and if it does help engage younger people then it should be rolled out in the UK with a simple mechanism that points them towards independent advice, ideally."
Mr Holweger also said L&G remained committed to developing technology that would help advisers reduce the time taken in administration and boost their engagement time with new and existing clients.
This summer L&G has started to team up with UK building societies to help reduce the amount of data brokers have to input when adding protection onto a mortgage application.
Mr Holweger said: "We need to make it easier for customers to take out life insurance and protect themselves, and to give advisers more time to have meaningful conversations with their clients.
"For example, when completing home insurance, why should the broker and client have to put in the same information twice - once for the mortgage, once for the insurance? We need to work with brokers to simplify the protection journey."
He said this was particularly pertinent when it came to the claims process, with L&G looking at using voice technology to help clients who are vulnerable.
