The public's banking usage patterns are expected to rapidly shift from branch offices to online to mobile, and then to the 'era of financial AI services' utilizing artificial intelligence.

SK Telecom and KEB Hana Bank announced on the 16th that they have signed a memorandum of understanding to provide 'AI voice financial services' and plan to launch related services in the first half of this year.

As a result, checking internet banking account balances and transaction history, amounting to 80 million transactions per day, can be easily handled with a single voice command through 'Nugu,' which is expected to dramatically improve the convenience of financial life for 'Nugu' customers. In addition, such 'financial AI services' will be expanded to securities, insurance, and cards in the second half of this year.

The 'AI voice financial service' currently being prepared by the two companies allows users to easily check registered account balances and transaction history, exchange rates and currency exchange rates, and branch information simply by voice.

Users can link their accounts to the KEB Hana Bank app via the 'Nugu' app on their smartphones and pre-register their accounts, and then ask questions such as “Aria, tell me my account balance (balance inquiry),” “Aria, what is the dollar exchange rate today? (exchange rate inquiry),” or “Aria, tell me today’s financial transactions (financial transaction inquiry),” and receive an immediate answer.

However, for the security of financial information, users can choose between voice or smartphone responses from 'Nugu'.

The two companies also plan to expand 'voice financial services' in the second half of this year to enable account transfer services, including simple remittance functions.

AI financial services are scheduled to expand to securities, insurance, and credit cards in the second half of this year. Services such as stock market information and stock recommendations, as well as insurance product recommendations and credit card usage history inquiries, will become available. Furthermore, AI financial services are expected to evolve beyond such improvements in financial transaction convenience into innovative financial services that combine big data and fintech technologies.

Han Jun-sung, Vice President of KEB Hana Bank’s Future Finance Group, said, “Based on this partnership, we will ensure that the bank’s AI conversational platform provides customers with economical and insightful financial services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year through convergence with other industries,” adding, “We look forward to creating leading AI-based services by leveraging our mutual strengths.”