Sometimes banking questions show up after hours, when reaching a human on the help desk is nearly impossible. You know the answer is probably in online banking, but you cannot find how. For exactly those moments, a new technology is being built.
Robot customer agents will help with common banking problems and guide you on less complex topics. That frees human agents for harder cases and means you will not wait forever for a small fix.
The rise of robot bankers
Robot help in banking is not far-future sci-fi. We have already seen AI play parking-ticket lawyer and Nobel-scientist roles. Small banking problems should not stretch today’s models.
British banks RBS and NatWest said they will use IBM’s Watson as a robot agent so more customers get answers faster without hiring more staff.
The system, called Luvo, can list a customer’s last six months of spending and filter by merchant. It can help request a new card or set up or cancel standing orders, and walk through many “how do I…” questions step by step.
At first Luvo will answer about ten questions, then grow into harder topics. It can also read tone for unhappiness or anger and adjust replies.
Downsides
As with any new tech, snags are likely. Voice menus that fail to understand already slow people down and raise tempers. Rare words and idioms may take time. The upside of AI is constant learning.
RBS aims to launch in December, first to about 10% of Scottish customers, then to more users from 2017.
