Westpac has trained 800 engineers on the use of generative AI tools to speed up software development.
Speaking to inhouse magazine Westpac Wire, the Australian bank's chief technology officer David Walker says Westpac engineers are working with partners in the field of AI to create guardrails to help steer use of the technology, as well as collaborating with universities and the tech industry to develop new AI-driven tools.
“All AI should be responsible,” Walker says in a podcast interview. “It’s about making sure that we're keeping everyone safe and that AI is used ethically and in the right way.”
He says Westpac now has over 800 engineers using generative AI tools following a successful experiment and it’s helping them to write 22 per cent more lines of code per day.
Walker expects 2024 will see a further evolution of “intelligent banking”, incorporating AI to enhance the customer experience with new products and services. “It's going to open up plenty more things for us to do over the longer term,” he says.
Walker also shares his insights on cloud computing, wearable technology, and tackling the global climate crisis, in a wide-ranging conversation about the key trends in tech to watch out for in the year ahead.