AIBANK launches digital outlet for immersive banking experience

AIBANK, a Beijing-based virtual bank, announced on Tuesday it has launched a three-dimensional digital banking outlet to increase user activity and acquire new customers.

"In the past, banks did not pay much attention to being fun. Everyone was concerned about banks' trustworthiness and professionalism. But it may be different in the future. In addition to trust and safety, we also need to create something different through a digital banking outlet, making people feel this bank is not only safe but also interesting," AIBANK strategy director Guan Zhenggang said.

"We use generative artificial intelligence and digital human technologies to make bank products more fun. What we are going to explore next is how to make good use of these technologies, combining our customer needs and product features."

At the current stage, the main goal of AIBANK is to increase customer activity. Among users of its digital banking outlet, those born after 1995 account for more than 80 percent. The average login time of users exceeded 15 minutes in the first month. After the launch of the digital outlet, bank app activity increased 20 percent.

The bank also aims to acquire new customers, allowing them to learn more about its products while visiting the outlet.

"Our partners include some fund companies. When they choose channels, they ask themselves a question: Why should my products be sold through your channel? Is it because your customers are of higher quality or you have a larger traffic volume? Or is it because your user experience is better, making it more enjoyable for customers to buy financial products through your platform? We will provide something different to attract our partners," Guan said.

In the digital outlet, users will find it easier to understand financial products, which are typically full of jargon. Apart from providing product information in text and numbers, AIBANK will also show a video clip to introduce a product and tell potential customers how to purchase it. After users viewed the videos, the transaction volume of the products sold at the outlet increased more than 20 percent, he said.

The bank has introduced Hongqi Auto to its digital outlet, and users can check a car's interior and exterior and book a test drive. Next, the bank plans to introduce more partners for more services beyond the financial realm. It will soon bring in Jidu Auto, an intelligent electric vehicle manufacturer, which may attract users interested in new energy vehicles. It is also in talks with some well-known game IPs.

Currently, the development of artificial intelligence is reaching the singularity, and AI-generated content technology is making breakthroughs that are profoundly affecting all industries, said Li Rudong, president of AIBANK.

"Today, with the support of AIGC, we are launching a digital banking outlet in the hope of creating a brand new interactive experience in a 3D digital space, making financial apps more engaging, and hoping to provide users with an immersive sense of pleasure during financial transactions," Li said.

In the past, people obtained information mainly through text and images, but now short videos, information flows and livestream selling have become mainstream. However, the banking industry as a whole is still relatively homogeneous. If the banking industry does not evolve and innovate, it may face a Nokia moment, he said.

"Our vision for the future of banking is to transform from people finding products to products finding people, and from providing two-dimensional information to offering three-dimensional information. Users can interact with our digital employees through customized digital avatars, making user perception more intense and the interaction experience more friendly," he said.

Generative AI, he added, will bring unprecedented opportunities to the industry in terms of technology development, intelligent customer service, intelligent investor education and personalized product customization.

"In my opinion, in the next three to five years, the combination of AIGC and digital humans will become the mainstream form of user service. Content productivity and targeted marketing capabilities will be greatly improved, and accompanying user services will become standard," he said.

jiangxueqing@chinadaily.com.cn