US-based First Union is to use the AskJeeve's natural-language query engine to help customers conduct their financial affairs over the Web.
Using the system, branded "Ask First Union", customers will be able to type questions such as "What kind of interest rate can I get on a $100,000 loan?" or "How do I transfer funds between business accounts?".
The service is designed to respond like a live counter assistant, directing customers to the relevant Web pages on the bank site. The technology will also present the pages most often visited by other firstunion.com customers who ask similar questions, in a bid to deliver the most relevant results.