Bahrain's Bank ABC is using AI technology from New Zealand's Soul Machines to launch a lifelike bot trained to answer customer queries at its forthcoming mobile-only digital bank.
The ‘digital employee’, dubbed Fatema, can detect human emotion and react verbally as well as physically, through facial expressions.
The objective is to inject some personality and character into the bot to make it more appealing to customers who usually avoid online chat agents.
As well as answering customer queries, the avatar will also be involved with social media to provide the latest news and updates about the bank.
Sael Al Waary, deputy group CEO, Bank ABC, says: “AI will soon be an inseparable part of our lives, as individuals and as a community at large. It will redefine the workforce and the way we do business across industries including banking and finance. We believe the sooner we recognise its potential and adopt it, the better it is.”