Business

ANZ employs digital assistant 'Jamie' to help customers

21:54 pm on 10 July 2018

ANZ Bank customers will be able to get help from a digital assistant starting from today.

Called Jamie, she has brown hair and brown eyes, and despite wearing a trainee badge, she is an expert on 30 banking topics.

Created by Auckland-based technology company Soul Machines, Jamie is available 24-7 on ANZ's website.

"Jamie is there to answer some of the hum-drum questions that we know people ask about on a frequent basis," ANZ head of digital Liz Maguire said.

Ms Maguire said Jamie was just a trial and would not replace any workers.

"There is absolutely no plans that she would ever be as good as an employee," she said.

"Banking is very much about relationships. People want to talk to experts about one of the most important things in their lives, which is there financial situation and that's what our fabulous staff are for."

Soul Machines has made a name globally humanising artificial intelligence, using its Human Computing Engine - a virtual nervous system that is modelled on the way the human brain and nervous system work - to bring Jamie to life.