Beyond the prompt: real‑world AI for real‑world banking

On August 28, Backbase and Datos Insights came together for a candid, outcome‑driven dialogue. Alex Jimenez and Gilles Ubaghs focused on where AI already creates lift inside real banking journeys and how a platform approach turns pilots into production. The thread through every segment: empower bankers, orchestrate end‑to‑end journeys, and switch your institution into Growth Mode.

Gilles opened with the temperature check: customers already move. 47% of mid‑ and large‑size corporations use generative AI today, with another 35% set to adopt inside 12 months. That adds up to 82% within a year, so expectations for bank capabilities climb fast. 

Gilles added the business case: efficiency fuels the journey. In the same data set, operational efficiency and automation lead the investment rationale at 57%, closely followed by security and risk management at 54%. This creates budget headroom to reinvest in growth plays.

The pair also highlighted SMB readiness. 70% of SMBs feel comfortable or very comfortable with greater AI use in banking, which signals appetite for smarter service across segments.

Start with the outcome, then wire the journey.

Alex and Gilles rallied around a simple operating pattern. Pick a measurable outcome that matters to a banker or a customer, anchor it in the engagement layer, then place AI where work already happens. Think faster commercial onboarding that reuses data across steps, proactive servicing and selling that guides the relationship manager to the next best action, and offers that deepen primary relationships.

Keep a tight portfolio.

Rather than chase every shiny feature, focus delivery across four domains that move KPIs: Sales and Relationship Management, Back Office, Fraud and AML, and Customer‑Facing Journeys. The conversation used concrete examples: enterprise search for bankers, onboarding automation, investigations support, and smart service experiences that resolve needs while uncovering opportunities. 

Treat governance as a speed enabler.

Great AI programs run on strong rails. Alex and Gilles described shared guardrails across partners and teams: data governance, end‑to‑end risk management, clear accountability, and testing for accuracy, fairness, and transparency. Get these right early to scale with confidence.

Inside the Backbase Engagement Banking Platform, AI amplifies journeys you already orchestrate. The discussion homed in on four clusters where value compounds quickly:

• Revenue and experience: Customer segmentation, recommendations and next‑best action, and churn prevention that alerts bankers to intervene at the right moment.

• Intelligent process automation: Onboarding, origination, customer due diligence, and dispute management that raise throughput and compress cycle time.

• Conversational banking and coaching: Digital assistants that resolve questions and escalate to bankers, plus financial coach journeys that guide customers to better outcomes.

• Software delivery velocity: SDLC agents, Backbase upgrade agents, and knowledge assistants that streamline builds and releases.

Result: bankers gain superpowers, customers feel understood, and growth accelerates across lines of business.

During Q&A, Alex and Gilles shared quick signals for assessing AI delivery maturity: clear explanations in plain language, exam‑ready documentation, traceable step‑by‑step logic, and strong vendor transparency on methods and evaluation. These habits build trust and unlock faster iteration.

Use the conversation and the signpost stats above to power a focused plan.

1. Choose two lighthouse journeys. Commercial onboarding and cash‑flow‑based cross‑sell create tangible wins. Tie each to a single KPI such as time to yes or product holdings per relationship.

2. Stand up shared guardrails. Align data governance, risk, accountability, and testing across partners so delivery moves with confidence.

Place AI inside the engagement layer. Deploy copilots and automation where bankers and customers already spend time, then measure lift in throughput and NPS.

This recap delivers the arc of the dialogue and the numbers that set the stage. The recording includes more examples, audience reactions, and on‑screen demos that bring the framework to life. Watch the full webinar to spark your next 90‑day plan and activate Growth Mode across your bank.