Westpac Group to unify its digital assistants

Westpac is developing a platform to unify its chatbots and digital assistants, using technology from conversational AI vendor Kasisto.

The bank is already testing the platform - which will create one conversational portal or gateway that can direct Westpac customers to the right digital assistant - amongst employees and intends to route customer traffic through it later this year.

Westpac Group’s BT Financial division is an existing Kasisto technology user, since at least 2020.

Westpac Group's chief technology officer David Walker said one challenge with the bank’s current digital assistants, including Red and digital job coach Wendy, is breaking the down the “siloed experience” for consumers,

“Most banks that have pursued chatbots have experienced the same problem,” Walker said in Westpac Wire.

“They've ended up with multiple bots all in a siloed situation, which becomes confusing for customers and staff.”

Walker said Westpac is “breaking new technology ground” through Kasisto’s KAI “intelligent orchestration” product to solve these issues.

“We've developed this central conversational AI 'brain' which orchestrates all conversations," Walker said.

“It can sit behind all channels, including many social channels and in front of bespoke chat bots.

“It's smart enough to know which chatbot can answer, and when they can't so it can hive off to a live agent."

Walker said Westpac is “very confident” the bank is on the path to “creating amazing ambient experiences for our customers that is chatting to us on your favourite social media app or immersed in a possible augmented or virtual reality metaverse”.

Kasisto CEO and co-founder Zor Gorelov said its technology can unite a “whole universe of bots” that have been built separately or by different vendors.

“Creating an orchestrated experience is really important for a good customer experience, to make the underlying assistants… more discoverable and interactions with them easier,” he said.

As bots become the most-used way for users to interact with organisations such as banks, “orchestration will play a big role in helping streamline, standardise and ultimately provide better user experience.”