'We’ve removed the biggest barrier to customer AI adoption: writer’s block' — Starling Bank AI boss on why agentic AI could be the key to help customers manage their money better

Starling Bank's AI boss believes that the biggest hurdle to widespread adoption of AI for customers is writer's block. The bank has launched a range of customer-facing generative and agentic AI tools, with the aim of helping customers manage their money better. These tools, such as the Spending Insights tool and the Scam Intelligence tool, leverage both generative AI and agentic AI capabilities to respond to customer queries and take action on their behalf.

Agentic AI can not only provide answers to customer questions, but also carry out actions, such as creating budgets, setting up savings plans, and managing direct debits. Starling's agentic AI financial assistant, which was launched earlier this year, allows customers to interact with the assistant using natural language prompts, making it easier for them to feel in control of their finances.

Despite the potential of AI to help customers overcome challenges like financial literacy and scams, Starling has found that some customers still suffer from writer's block when faced with an AI assistant offering seemingly limitless possibilities. To address this, Starling has introduced a new smart tools programme, which provides customers with predefined prompts to help inspire them on how AI can assist them.

The bank plans to roll out new smart tools weekly and encourage customers to share their own requests with it, with the goal of creating a bespoke AI banking experience tailored to each individual's needs.