There is no denying that two of the biggest drivers behind technical innovation today are blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI). In fact, it's predicted that by 2030, AI will be responsible for adding over US$15 trillion to the global economy. Within the same amount of time, blockchain will contribute $3.1 trillion to business valuations. It's inevitable that their paths will cross as entrepreneurs seek innovative solutions to gain a competitive edge. The question is, what exactly can result from the synergy of these two powerhouse technologies?

An artificial intelligence (AI) system, which can record and analyse customer conversations, will be trialled by Natwest in order to ensure they provide better quality information and advice, a Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) press release announced last week. Natwest has partnered with Recordsure, a London-based fintech company, whose AI, with customer consent, will record face to face and over the phone customer interactions, which will be analysed by human agents and the AI itself. According to Natwest's press release, the Recordsure AI can identify distinct parts of a conversation, so it will know, for example, when a customer is being given an initial disclosure, financial advice, and general conversation. It should be able to inform staff if certain topics or issues have not been discussed. Security is said to be a top priority in the introduction of the AI, and conversations are immediately encrypted and uploaded to a secure cloud, before being archived at former UK and US military facilities, originally built as nuclear bunkers.