What is intelligent automation and what does it mean for the financial services industry? Banks currently face a number of specific problems for which intelligent automation - and within this the capability of AI - may provide solutions. Far from becoming our new masters, our prediction is that thinking machines could become our most trusted assistants, enhancing our productivity through providing us deeper and more timely information, and perhaps even automating the business of generating insights and making considered decisions. We believe that intelligent automation will, above all, allow us to free people from routine work and so empower them to concentrate on more creative, value-added services. The overall benefits to the economy from such enhancements could be large, as could the benefits in terms of enjoyment of work and quality of life.