Cognitive banking platform identifies the meaning of customer requests

Italian banking group Intesa Sanpaolo is enhancing the digital experience of its customers with a virtual agent and intelligent search solution. The system, based on Expert System’s cognitive platform Cogito, analyzes the meaning of users’ words and phrases to understand their intentions.

“Cogito has allowed us to quickly achieve the group’s digital strategy objectives for innovation, helping us improve the quality and experience of our online services. We wanted a new and intelligent tool capable of bringing our customers closer to the bank, and we are very pleased with the results,” report Francesca Nieddu, director of customer experience and CRM at Intesa Sanpaolo, and Massimo Tessitore, head of integrated multichannels there.

Cogito leverages artificial intelligence algorithms for semantic analysis and natural language processing, according to Expert System. It identifies the meaning of customer requests and immediately responds with the requested information or proposes relevant actions such as direct access to wire transfers, deposits, bill payment or any of the numerous other home banking options. It also helps fill in forms with information such as amounts or recipients of transactions. The new platform powers the group’s website and internet banking services, which have been completely redesigned in favor of a user-centric and navigation-oriented approach, Expert System reports.

Six months after its launch in summer 2016, Intesa Sanpaolo’s cognitive banking service powered by Cogito is achieving a fast adoption rate with 30 percent of customers already using the service regularly.