Starling Bank has announced the launch of an agentic AI financial assistant, described as the first of its kind in the UK. The goal is to improve the daily banking experience for its nearly five million customers.

AI Assistant Features

Starling Bank's assistant is designed to help customers manage their finances, providing personalized suggestions and offering general guidance on banking operations. The assistant responds to voice and natural language commands, automating various tasks, from setting personalized savings goals to organizing bill payments.

For example, a customer planning a vacation can ask the assistant to calculate how much they need to save monthly and set up automatic transfers to a dedicated account. Similarly, it is possible to create dedicated spaces for different spending categories, such as groceries, bills, travel and restaurants, specifying the amount to transfer to each on payday.

Underlying Technology

The assistant is built on Starling Bank's proprietary tech platform, using Google Gemini and Google Cloud technologies. Starling Bank had already launched generative AI tools, including Spending Intelligence, which allows customers to ask natural language questions about their spending habits, and Scam Intelligence, which helps detect online marketplace scams.

The Banking AI Assistant Market

Several banks are experimenting with generative AI. Klarna uses it for customer service, while Bunq launched its AI assistant in 2024. Lunar expects its GenAI-powered voice assistant to handle approximately 75% of customer calls over time. Revolut is exploring the use of AI to automate tasks such as customer service and sales.