DBS has upgraded its virtual assistant, DBS Joy, with generative artificial intelligence (AI) to offer round-the-clock personalized support for corporate clients.

The enhanced chatbot, accessible via the bank's IDEAL digital banking platform, leverages large language models and proprietary data to address client inquiries 24/7. It provides contextual responses beyond pre-scripted answers, managing tasks ranging from account queries to transaction requests, while escalating complex cases to human specialists.

Since its pilot launch in February, the chatbot has processed over 120,000 conversations. Approximately 4,000 corporate clients—primarily small and medium-sized enterprises—now use the service monthly. Customer satisfaction scores rose by 23% during the trial period.

"This latest version of DBS Joy marks a significant advancement, delivering instant, intelligent assistance to customers while allowing our SME relationship managers to focus on higher-value engagements," said Chen Ze Ling, DBS Group Head of Corporate and SME Banking.

DBS has implemented multiple safeguards in DBS Joy, including real-time response filtering through layered internal checks with predefined risk-mitigation rules. Post-interaction, designated evaluators review conversation quality and identify areas for improvement to refine the AI's knowledge base.

When human intervention is required, service specialists utilize an AI copilot that retrieves relevant data and generates real-time recommendations. "This streamlines employee workload, enabling them to concentrate on tasks requiring human judgment to better serve clients," explained Welson Jamin, DBS Group Head of Operations.

DBS plans to expand DBS Joy's functionalities and roll out the service in Hong Kong and India. The bank has prioritized AI integration as a key component of its technology strategy, recently being named the world's best AI bank by Global Finance in October.