South Korean banks are embracing artificial intelligence to better understand customers and enable them to take advantage of services more easily, as local financial institutions step up efforts to digitalize their operations. Hana Bank, one of the five major banks here, said Friday that it would use artificial intelligence to look through customer reviews in real-time so as to expand communication between customers and staff. "We see change every day in the banking industry. Getting immediate feedback on our financial services so we know what we need to do when we need to do it is vital to our expansion," a Hana Bank official in charge of the program said. AI is not only faster but also more nuanced in handling the staggering volume of reviews, meaning the machine draws clearer boundaries than humans between good and bad feedback, the official noted. The official added that a panel comprising all-age groups, including people aged from 20s to 50s, will be expanded to account for "human voice" AI could be missing.

DeepBrain AI's AI human technology is a solution that creates a virtual human capable of real-time interactive communication. It implements AI that can communicate directly with users by fusion of speech synthesis, video synthesis, natural language processing, and speech recognition technologies. As a technology that can realize complete contactless service in various fields, banks have the effect of providing a secure counseling service to customers who prefer non-face-to-face in accordance with the COVID-19 situation, and shortening customer waiting time through faster response. First, the AI banker greets customers when they arrive at the kiosk and provides answers to their questions. All answers go through the process of deriving optimal information based on KB-STA, a financial language model developed by KB Kookmin Bank, and delivered to customers through the AI banker's video and voice implemented with DeepBrain AI's AI human technology.

KB Kookmin Bank's AI Banker explains financial information on a monitor at the bank's headquarters in Yeouido, western Seoul, Wednesday. An image of a neatly dressed man welcomes visitors and answers questions on finance services on a monitor at KB Kookmin Bank in Yeouido, western Seoul. The male character, powered by artificial intelligence and modelled on TV personality Kim Hyun-wook, explains the difference between a debit and a credit card in a tone and manner identical to a real human staffer. He is a prototype of the AI bankers set to work alongside human bank staff in the near future. KB plans to test the AI banker service at selected branches starting this fall.