SEB announces introduction of virtual agent
Published: October 06, 2016
SEB has today announced the introduction of Amelia, a new digital employee at the bank’s internal IT support. By mimicking the human process of learning and conversation, the technology can be used to perform assignments and provide information. The next step is to let the bank’s retail customers benefit from Amelia's skills as a complement to other services.
“Customer service is a key differentiator in the competition for customers. Amelia will be an additional way for us to increase accessibility for our customers and make our service even more individualised,” says Rasmus Järborg, SEB's Chief Strategy Officer. “Our belief that this technology can create positive customer experiences is based on the good results we have seen in tests in IT support. During the first three weeks, over 4,000 conversations were held with 700 employees, and Amelia solved the majority of issues without delay.”
SEB is now building up a function in cooperation with IPsoft, a world leader in autonomic and cognitive solutions, that will train and develop Amelia. Together, SEB and IPsoft will also identify and test new opportunities where the technological platform can be used to improve the customer experience of meeting with the bank.
“Digital employees will change the way in which banks manage their business and provide a platform for new services. SEB is a clear forerunner when it comes to understanding the potential of the digital transformation, and is now gaining a headstart by placing Amelia in direct contact with customers, "says Chetan Dube, IPsoft CEO.
IPsoft’s Amelia is an artificial intelligence platform designed to problem-solve like a human, but in a fraction of the time. Built with semantic understanding, Amelia interacts with customers through natural language and even senses emotions. Unlike any other virtual agent, Amelia understands the full context of the dialogue, and applies logic to her knowledge of the subject matter in order to determine the right answer or best course of action.