„The future role of artificial intelligence is not to replace people, but to enhance their work capacity and efficiency. We refer to it as the “Centaur Model” and at its core is to make human beings stronger, by increasing personal productivity and facilitating the performance of daily routine tasks.“, shared Eric Luts, Chief Innovation Manager and Member of the Executive Committee of KBC Group, before the participants in this year’s edition of the Financial Forum Innovations, organized by the Bank of the Year Association.

KBC Group’s Innovation Manager was a keynote speaker at the event, as during his 30-minute lecture on the Global Trends in Financial Innovations topic he presented rich and abundant information and content on the development of innovations in the financial sector, the role of data and their processing upon the creation of scenarios for servicing customers, the artificial intelligence and the opportunities it brings, the creation of AI-based agents, in support of humans upon the performance of a particular and specific work and activities, and others.

According to Eric Luts, when using innovations people seek comfort, not technologies, as what is important to them is ease and convenience, in order to do what they want in a quick and secure way. Hence, should the financial sector want to be competitive and provide better customer experience, it shall have to meet those expectations. „It is not enough to just follow customers, we need to anticipate their behavior and expectations, educate them, offer them smart, easy and adequate solutions and products“, he added. 

Forum Innovations was held on 22 May, at Hyatt Regency Hotel in Sofia, and it gathered at one place the opinions of leading experts in financial innovations, top bankers, leaders of technology companies and others. Among them was also Christof De Mil, Chief Executive Officer of UBB, who voiced his opinion and stance on the regulations, innovations, the readiness of the banking sector in Bulgaria to adopt the euro currency, the role of artificial intelligence in customer servicing and others. The event organizer was the Bank of the Year Association.