By Yuma Ikeshita

Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

Major Japanese online bank SBI Sumishin Net Bank Ltd. plans to launch a smartphone app service utilizing generative AI to support customers with more than 100 procedures such as money transfers, according to President and CEO Noriaki Maruyama.

The generative AI will be able to fully carry out some procedures in place of the user.

The service will be the first of its kind in Japan, Maruyama said during a recent interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun.

Users will be able to give spoken or written instructions to the AI. "The service allows users to easily accomplish what they want to do, even those who are unfamiliar with smartphones," Maruyama said.

Some users will be able to utilize the service within this month after a generative AI-powered agent function named "NEOBANK ai" is added to the bank's app. The service will initially cover only a few thousand users. "We will analyze how the service is used and discuss whether to expand it (to other users)," Maruyama said.

The instructions that users can give to the AI include "Transfer X yen to Mr. A." The AI will identify the recipient from the user's transfer list and input the amount. Within seconds, it will display the details of the transfer on a screen and read the contents aloud. If the user replies "Yes," the transaction will be executed. Simultaneous transfers to multiple recipients can also be carried out with a single set of instruction.

For changing an address and other procedures, the AI can instantly guide users to the appropriate screens. As part of the service, the AI will also be able to analyze the user's spending. Maruyama said he expected that the new service's convenience will help SBI Sumishin increase its new account openings. "Users can complete their procedures four to five times faster (with the new service)," Maruyama said. "We want to attract new customers, including older adults."

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This article is from The Yomiuri Shimbun. Neither Dow Jones Newswires, MarketWatch, Barron's nor The Wall Street Journal were involved in the creation of this content.

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February 27, 2026 06:10 ET (11:10 GMT)

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