Truist Financial today launched its artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced virtual assistant Truist Assist, which introduces a self-service element to the bank’s customer experience offerings.

The virtual assistant leverages natural language processing and natural language understanding that helps answer client questions in a digital channel, Sherry Graziano, head of digital banking and contact centers at Truist, told Bank Automation News.

The technology “enable[s] a client to self-serve when, where and how they want with additional support,” Graziano said, noting that Truist Assist also offers a frictionless transition for clients to speak with a contact center associate to address deeper needs. “It really starts to bridge digital and human touch.”

Truist Assist initially launched with more than 100 different tasks that include common support inquiries, such as the ability to help clients view account details, order checks and explore various solutions, Graziano said, noting those questions “are the types … initially built into our artificial intelligence-enhanced tool.”

Read more: Truist’s digital investments

The launch of the tool was a year-long process that included standing up the solution, four waves of pilots and ultimately launching the tool for client use, Chad Elley, senior vice president of enterprise CRM, intelligent automation and evolutionary innovation at Truist, told BAN.

Truist’s digital journey

The launch of Truist Assist is part of the bank’s ongoing contact center overhaul and modernization program within its interactive voice response (IVR) and agent desktop toolset, Elley said, noting, “We wanted to make sure we were building Truist Assist in line with where we’re actually going.”

For example, the bank has plans to expand the tool’s range of personalized financial insights and deliver continual enhancements with upgrades being evaluated by Truist’s Innovation and Technology Center, which opened earlier this year, Elley said.

Looking ahead, Truist Assist will undergo adjustments based on client data collection to ensure the assistant is answering the questions asked, he said.

“In some cases we may have utterances that aren’t necessarily fully understood by the bot and need to be further tuned through either existing algorithms or human touch,” Elley said.

Bank Automation Summit Fall 2022, taking place Sept. 19-20 in Seattle, is a crucial event on automation and automation technology in banking. Truist’s Ken Meyer, divisional chief information officer and experience officer for consumer technology, experience and innovation will speak at the event.  Learn more and register for Bank Automation Summit Fall 2022.