NatWest has appointed Dr. Maja Pantic as its inaugural Chief AI Research Officer.
Currently a Professor of Affective and Behavioural Computing at Imperial College London, Pantic previously held pivotal roles as the founding research director of the Samsung AI Research Centre in Cambridge and as the AI scientific research director at Meta in London.
In her new role at NatWest, Pantic will focus on exploring AI applications to combat deepfake threats and enhance Generative AI. Her responsibilities will include implementing AI solutions across the bank to streamline operations and develop tools that boost productivity.
Scott Marcar, Chief Information Officer at NatWest Group, remarked, “AI has been instrumental in our journey to simplify NatWest and improve customer experiences as we strengthen our role as a trusted partner during critical moments. Maja’s appointment represents a significant milestone; her expertise will enable us to more swiftly and effectively respond to our customers’ evolving needs while enhancing our existing team’s capabilities.”
This appointment aligns with NatWest’s ongoing AI strategy, which includes a recent partnership with OpenAI, the introduction of an internal Generative AI platform for staff, and advancements in customer service through virtual assistant technologies, such as Cora+ and Ask Archie+.
The bank reports that the Generative AI features in Cora+ have led to a 150% increase in customer satisfaction and a notable reduction in the need for staff intervention. Similarly, Ask Archie+ now resolves up to 75% of HR inquiries without requiring human input.