Allianz confirms AI-linked job cuts of up to 1,800 across Europe

Confirmed reductions

Allianz Partners, the travel insurance and assistance division of Allianz, has confirmed plans to cut between 1,500 and 1,800 jobs across Europe. Chief executive Tomas Kunzmann linked the reductions directly to artificial intelligence, according to Insurance Business.

The reported range had previously appeared in November as an unconfirmed restructuring plan. The latest announcement confirms the planned scale, although another report describes the plan as cutting up to 1,800 roles.

The division employs more than 22,000 people. The proposed reductions represent roughly 7–8% of its total workforce.

Customer-facing roles exposed

Roughly 14,000 Allianz Partners employees handle customer enquiries and claims by phone. The sources identify these customer-service and claims-related roles as particularly exposed to generative AI, which can support tasks including triage, translation and routine case resolution.

The job cuts are planned across Europe. Insurance Business reported that works councils in Spain, France, Germany, Italy and the Benelux countries had negotiated for six months before the confirmation.

Affected employees are expected to leave through severance agreements, early retirements and voluntary departures. The reports do not state how many roles would be affected in each country or function.

Different from Allianz's earlier UK cuts

The announcement differs from an earlier reduction in Allianz's UK general insurance business. In June 2025, Allianz eliminated 650 jobs there and attributed that decision to market pressures rather than automation.

For the Allianz Partners restructuring, the company has explicitly connected the workforce reduction to AI. This distinguishes the move from job cuts described solely as broader restructuring, market pressure or organisational change.

Allianz has also been recognised for AI activity elsewhere in its business. It was named number one in the 2026 Evident AI Index for Insurance, ahead of 29 competitors, and was reported to have more than 900 registered AI use cases. The report said Allianz's AI talent pool was 28% larger than its nearest rival.

Wider insurance context

The reports place the Allianz decision alongside other insurance-sector restructuring. Munich Re's primary insurance arm, Ergo, is separately cutting around 1,000 German positions, partly for the same reason.

Insurance Business also cited a Bloomberg Economics estimate that 27% of workers in advanced economies are likely to be meaningfully affected by AI. It separately referenced research placing the share of US jobs with significant generative-AI exposure at around 80%.

Within Allianz, group chief economist Ludovic Subran has cautioned that the eventual adoption and real-economy impact of AI remain uncertain. That warning sits alongside the Allianz Partners decision, where the company has confirmed AI as a stated driver of the planned reductions.

Sources

• Allianz confirms hundreds of job cuts as AI reshapes insurance | Insurance Business
• Allianz plans to cut 1,800 jobs as AI automation reshapes insurance industry