NatWest Launching AI-Powered Virtual Assistant Cora+
- Introduction:
- NatWest is launching a generative AI-powered virtual assistant, Cora+, developed with IBM’s Watsonx.
- Features:
- Integrates information from multiple sources for multi-channel support.
- Provides contextualized, pre-emptive responses for a more intelligent and conversational user experience.
- Summarizes previous interactions for customer service agents to quickly understand customer needs.
- Pilot Phase:
- A 12-week pilot will be conducted to refine and update the service.
- The pilot follows the initial text-based service launched in 2017.
- Current Usage:
- By 2023, Cora was supporting 10.8 million customers with daily banking needs.
- Popular queries include canceling transactions, opening ISAs, requesting bank statements, and changing account information.
- Future Plans:
- Full rollout of Cora+ will occur after pilot testing.
- Leadership Comments:
- David Lindberg, Retail Banking CEO, states this makes NatWest one of the first banks to use generative AI for personalized and responsive support.
- Emphasizes AI as a crucial tool for anticipating customer needs and providing human-like interactions.