Meet Josie, our innovative digital assistant
11 June 2018 / Published in Tech & InnovationBookings are now open for small business owners (or those that want to be one) to meet Josie, our new Digital Assistant we announced in March 2018. Centrally located within the Innovation Precinct at GridAKL 12 Madden St, you can book a time to interact with Josie even if you are not an ASB customer. If you are travelling by car, we can even help you out with parking in busy Wynyard Quarter! As Josie is in an initial trial stage, the information she provides to you during your meeting is not a comprehensive guide to starting a business or personalised financial advice. Come along and help Josie during her apprenticeship phase, so we can develop her understanding. This will mean that longer-term she’ll be armed with the knowledge she needs to deliver customised assistance to SME business owners setting up a business.
Although Josie is digital, in a nod to our human teams, she is named after our first-ever full-time ASB Bank employee Joseph Coombe. And speaking of ‘firsts’, she is the first human-like interface powered by artificial intelligence to be used in Australasian banking and has been created in partnership with NZ tech company FaceMe. Designed to assist SME business owners with setting up a business, you’ll be able to meet her during her apprenticeship.
We created Josie to foster the success of business in New Zealand with a banking avatar service that isn't yet available anywhere else in Australasia. It’s been exciting to develop this technology, but more importantly we’re eager to see what Josie will help our customers achieve. Globally, New Zealanders are known for innovation and entrepreneurship: we have brilliant ideas but sometimes lack the knowledge for profitable execution. This is where we see Josie will help.
FaceMe CEO and founder Danny Tomsett says “Much like the human mind, Josie’s knowledge will develop with information through human interactions over time. As AI is still developing there are some misconceptions surrounding its impact on people. One of the biggest misconceptions about AI is that it’s designed to ‘replace humans’. Great AI should be designed to enhance what humans do and how they operate. ASB understands this, and they’re leveraging the technology as a tool to empower their staff and create great outcomes for SME owners.”
Josie is the latest addition to ASB’s suite of digital tools available for SME business owners following the launch of Plus for ASB, a free app that brings your business information together in one place, no matter who you bank with.
