Bank of America adds generative AI to call-centre assistant

Bank of America has added generative artificial intelligence features to EricaAssist, an internal AI agent used by more than 18,000 customer service representatives during client calls. The bank said in a Tuesday press release that the upgraded tool can return relevant guidance in less than three seconds and has reduced average call duration by nearly one minute, a measure that points to potential efficiency gains in high-volume service operations.

EricaAssist works alongside customer service staff while they are speaking with clients, according to Bank of America. The system surfaces information and guidance in real time so representatives can continue the conversation rather than pause to search through internal materials, the bank said.

The deployment places generative AI closer to client-facing operations at a large US lender, after financial firms initially concentrated many enterprise AI projects in more structured internal functions. For banks, call-centre technology can affect labour productivity, client satisfaction and compliance controls, although Bank of America did not disclose the investment cost or any financial impact from the EricaAssist upgrade.

How the tool is being used

Bank of America said the new capabilities are designed to help representatives tailor service while calls are in progress. In practice, EricaAssist provides staff with context and suggested guidance during the interaction, while the employee remains responsible for speaking with the client and applying judgment.

Ashley Ross, head of consumer client experience and business transformation at Bank of America, described the system in the release as part of the bank’s “high-tech, high-touch approach.” Ross said: “By combining human judgment with real-time AI guidance, we’re helping employees navigate complex topics more easily and serve clients more effectively in the moments that matter most.”

Tom Ellis, chief information officer and head of consumer technology at Bank of America, said in the same release that the technology helps employees produce insights quickly while “operating with strong governance, transparency and accountability.”

The bank did not provide further detail in the release on the underlying model, vendor relationships, training data or the specific controls used to govern the tool. Its description frames EricaAssist as a staff-support system rather than an autonomous client-service channel.

AI adoption broadens inside banking

The rollout comes as financial services companies expand AI use beyond back-office tasks. A PYMNTS Intelligence report, “Financial Services Pulls Ahead in the Enterprise AI Race,” found that financial services and insurance firms have been heavy adopters of AI, with common uses including revenue recognition, credit risk assessment and sales forecasting.

The report said banks and insurers appear to have prioritised areas where outputs can be structured and checked, and where mistakes can be contained. It also said customer growth applications, including retention, acquisition, experimentation and personalisation, remain less developed by comparison.

Bank of America has announced other AI deployments across its businesses. In March, Merrill Wealth Management and Bank of America Private Bank said they had begun using AI-Powered Meeting Journey, a workflow tool intended to support financial advisers with meeting preparation, note-taking and follow-up.

The bank has also reported broader usage of Erica, its client-facing virtual financial assistant. In August, Bank of America said Erica was averaging more than 58 million client interactions a month and had exceeded 3 billion interactions since its 2018 launch.

This story draws on original reporting from PYMNTS.