Will Sophia replace me?

I asked AI to tell me about the future of banking the other day. It responded with a great set of answers:

The future of banking is being reshaped by technology, shifting customer expectations, and new regulatory and economic realities. Here are the key trends that will define the next 5–10 years:

💡 1. Banking Will Become Invisible and Embedded

Banking services will integrate into everyday platforms—social apps, e-commerce, cars, smart devices—so people “bank” without visiting a bank.

• Paying and borrowing will happen inside apps like Uber, Amazon, or WhatsApp.
• Bank accounts may become “background utilities” rather than primary customer interfaces.

Winner: Banks that provide strong API-powered services and partner with non-banks.

🤖 2. AI-Driven, Hyper-Personalized Financial Services

AI will transform banking from reactive to proactive:

• Real-time financial advice (“Your spending increased 20%, here’s a plan…”)
• Personalized credit limits, interest rates, and investment portfolios
• AI-powered chat + human-like service 24/7

Outcome: Every customer will have an AI “financial co-pilot.”

🧱 3. Fintech + Bank Collaboration Will Increase

Fintechs excel at innovation; banks excel at trust, licenses, and stability. Expect more partnership than competition:

• Banks provide infrastructure and compliance
• Fintechs provide user-friendly digital experiences

“Fintech inside” bank models will rise, similar to “Intel Inside” in tech.

🔐 4. Security & Regulation Will Evolve Rapidly

Cybersecurity becomes the industry’s #1 risk.

Expect stronger frameworks around:

• Biometric authentication (voice, face, heartbeat patterns)
• Zero-trust security models
• Real-time fraud detection using AI
• Data-sharing rules like Open Banking 2.0

🪙 5. Digital Currencies Will Reshape Money

Three forces are redefining payments and value exchange:

Form of Money	Likely Future
CBDCs (Central Bank Digital Currencies)	Widely adopted for domestic payments
Stablecoins	Regulated, used for cross-border payments
Crypto	More niche but used for investments and Web3 commerce

Expect a hybrid financial system where traditional and digital currencies coexist.

🌱 6. Ethical, Sustainable, and Inclusive Banking

Driven by consumer values and regulation:

• Climate-linked finance and reporting
• Products for underserved populations
• Fair lending powered by transparent AI

Banks that show purpose + trust will win loyalty.

🏦 7. Branches Won’t Disappear—but Will Transform

Branches become advisory and experience hubs, not transaction centers:

• Video banking pods, financial education events
• Wealth planning, business advisory, and more human-led services

🧬 8. Modular, Cloud-Native Banking Infrastructure

Banks will gradually replace decades-old legacy systems with flexible, cloud-first architecture:

• Faster product launches (weeks → days)
• Banks as “platforms” enabling fintech ecosystems
• Cost reduction and better resilience

🚀 Bottom Line

The bank of the future will be:

✅ AI-powered
✅ Embedded in daily life
✅ Open and partner-driven
✅ Highly secure and regulated
✅ Focused on customer well-being, not just transactions

And then asked if I would like this to be delivered as a PowerPoint presentation, to which I said yes. Here it is:

 

Great job!

But it made me realise how soulless AI is. When I look at the future of banking, I start with the customer and agree with most of the points above but, when ChatGPT gave me the PowerPoint, how lacking soul it is. It made me realise that my presentation style - as are many other keynotes who succeed - is entertainment. You have to engage the audience, make them smile, be a good presenter through your human engagement.

It worries me that ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and co will get there and make me redundant but, today, there is a long way to go.