ING is seeing quantifiable returns on its generative AI investments and plans to launch gen AI-driven solutions to improve customer satisfaction and efficiency. 

The $1 trillion bank upgraded its contact centers with gen AI-powered chatbots in 2023, providing customers with faster, more accurate responses, Marco Li Mandri, head of advanced analytics strategy, told FinAi News. 

“Up to 77% of chats in Spain and 80% in the Netherlands are now resolved automatically [through the chatbots], reducing the volume of chats requiring human support,” Li Mandri said. 

Amsterdam-based ING uses Google technology to develop and deploy its LLM chatbots, he said. 

The bank will use the savings from deploying AI agents for restructuring and technology initiatives, according to its Jan. 29 fourth-quarter earnings report. 

The bank reported operational expenses of 12.6 billion euros ($14.6 billion) in fiscal 2025 and expects operational expenses of around $14 billion for fiscal 2026. 

 ING has already deployed AI for: 

• Customer support;  

• KYC;  

• Lending;  

• Marketing and personalization; and  

• Software development. 

The bank has developed guardrails for its gen AI chatbot to avoid hallucinations, Li Mandri said. This includes a  dedicated layer designed to tackle gen AI associated risks, he added. 

“Our gen AI risk assessment covers more than 100 potential risks, giving us a fully additional control layer built to identify, manage and mitigate the unique challenges gen AI introduces,” Li Mandri said. 

The bank uses AI in processes that consumers have agreed to and which regulators have approved for AI deployment, he said.  

“Human-in-the-loop systems and cutting-edge real-time monitoring help us correct inaccuracies, hallucinations or any additional risks quickly,” Li Mandri said. 

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