The plan is meant to improve customer convenience as well as reduce the workload of bank employees, with banks tending to be understaffed, especially in rural areas. | GETTY IMAGES

Japan’s Financial Services Agency is looking to develop an original artificial intelligence model that it can then provide to regional banks to improve efficiency and the security of their operations, the Financial Data Utilization Association (FDUA) said on Friday.

The government agency has entrusted the FDUA, which promotes the use of data and technology in the financial field and is made up of around 440 companies in the industry, to develop the technology.

The FDUA is looking to conduct empirical research on regional banks using AI models in its operations, particularly in the customer-facing services, after building a conversational AI agent that can handle a wide range of inquiries from customers.

In a time of both misinformation and too much information,

quality journalism is more crucial than ever.

By subscribing,…