Dive Brief:
- Generative artificial intelligence capabilities added to Bank of America’s EricaAssist, an AI agent built to aid employees in their interactions with customers, now allow it to make recommendations in real time, the bank said Tuesday.
- The Charlotte, North Carolina-based lender said the enhancements will provide personalized guidance within a few seconds, addressing customer needs more quickly.
- “It’s really about helping our employees better serve the clients and do it more efficiently and effectively,” said Ashley Ross, head of consumer client experience and business transformation at BofA, in an interview. “Anything that makes the engagement smoother for our clients and our associates is a win.”
Dive Insight:
While Erica is BofA’s customer-facing AI-powered virtual assistant, EricaAssist is used by about 18,000 bank customer service employees as they interact with clients.
The AI agent runs as a desktop widget on an employee’s computer and works alongside staff, helping them access information in seconds, Ross said. EricaAssist shortens average call times by almost one minute per interaction, according to the bank.
EricaAssist tells an employee why the customer is calling and their tenure at BofA, among other details, and employees can ask the AI agent questions while they help customers…