Beyond the Goldmine: Why Banks Must Move from Data to Dialogue

The banking industry has long been described as sitting on a “goldmine” of data, yet for many customers, the digital experience remains frustratingly generic. This interview was conducted at The Banking Scene event in Amsterdam, where Sara Hanniker, Head of AI Solutions at Finshape, discussed why the shift from reactive notifications to proactive “AI Financial Assistants” is the next great frontier.

Q: In practical terms, where do you see AI moving the needle most for banks?

Sara Hanniker: “From a customer’s perspective, it would be the best to have the feeling my bank understands me, the bank knows me, and the bank can react, and the bank can be proactive”.

Q: Banks have talked about being a “goldmine” of data for decades. Why does the experience still feel so generic?

Sara Hanniker: “Banks made some steps forward, so probably there are banks who already know their customers, they analyse transaction data, they create behavioural profiles, so they know who they are, where they are back is what to do with this knowledge, how to act upon them, how to be proactive, what can I do with that data”. “For example, it is a big difference, I observed that your balance dropped by 20% compared to previous months, right? This is a statement, this is an observation, which I can retrieve, get out from the data, but I could also say, I saw that your balance dropped by 20%, — let’s look at what changed. I can see two new recurring payments since last month. Want to go through them?,”.

The Death of the Rulebook

The emergence of Generative AI has fundamentally changed how banks can interpret the data they collect, moving away from thousands of rigid, pre-defined logic rules.

Q: What has been holding banks back from doing something more useful with this data?

Sara Hanniker: “Before generative AI, banks implemented many, many business rules. If this happens, then we may offer this, if this happens, then we may engage the customer in that way or that way”. “But with generative AI, you don’t need to define hundreds of business rules, so now you have the real possibility to understand what happens, and this is an absolutely big difference”. “So the technology allows us to understand the customer, GenAI handles what they couldn’t cover: the nuance, the context, the conversation.”.

Coaching vs. Pitching: Building Trust

One of the most delicate balances for a bank is being helpful without becoming intrusive or appearing overly “pushy”.

Q: What is the difference between reactive messaging and proactive financial coaching?

Sara Hanniker: “Proactive financial coaching would mean,the AI assistant sees your balance increased and says, what about saving €200 more this month? The customer says, no, I know my car needs repair next week, I can’t. OK, so what about €50? They agree. Done — the AI assistant suggests setting up a recurring transfer right there, or let’s set up a saving goal.”. “So you can interact, you can discuss, and you agree then on the final amount, and then the AI could say, okay, then let’s set up a recurring transfer to your saving account, or let’s set up a saving goal”.

Q: How can a bank personalise that responsibility without crossing the line and destroying trust?

Sara Hanniker: “For example, when we come back to this example, my car broke down and I need money, right? So what would destroy the trust is saying, hey, here is a loan offer, take it, right?”. “But then I would say, okay, then let’s analyse your financial situation. And then we can say, you have maybe €2,000 balance, and I see that, okay, you built up quite a kind of emergency fund or safety buffer for such expenses”. “So you can cover your car expense from your safety buffer and still keep €1,400. But if you’d prefer to keep your savings untouched, here’s a 3-month instalment plan at €210 per month. Which would you prefer? This sounds differently, right? Because I show professionalism,  I know your financial situation. Because I’m not pushing a product — I did the homework first.”.

The Threat of the Invisible Bank

With tech giants like Google and Amazon setting the bar for seamless journeys, banks face a reality where they might lose their place as the primary interface for their customers.

Q: Are customer expectations shifting faster than banks can adapt?

Sara Hanniker: “Yes. And this is the real threat — the mobile banking app may no longer be the first place customers go to manage their finances. If  Google wraps financial data into a seamless experience without ever opening my banking app, why would I go back to the bank?”

A Gradual Evolution: From Chatbot to Assistant

While the technology exists to create highly autonomous agents, Hanniker suggests a cautious, step-by-step approach is necessary for the industry to manage high-risk advice categories.

Q: How do you view the evolution of these AI tools within the bank?

Sara Hanniker: “What we would like to achieve is moving from the chatbot functionality to an assistive functionality. This is why we call our product AI Financial Assistant. This is not a financial chatbot, this is an AI Financial Assistant. In financial services, you have regulation, compliance requirements, and most importantly, customer trust that hasn’t been built yet. The AI can analyse and prepare, but the customer decides and confirms. That’s the right boundary for now.”

Q: Is the technology ahead of the banking culture?

Sara Hanniker: “The technology enables us. But the culture, the mindset, the banking industry is not yet there from organisational perspective”. “We have to move on gradually. We can delegate tasks to the AI agents only in a gradual way. The next step is delegating action — setting up the saving goal, adjusting the budget, but only after the customer confirms. Full autonomy comes last, and only where regulation and trust allow it. The technology is ready. The question is whether banks will use it to become a trusted financial coach, or watch someone else do it for them.”.

The future of banking lies in the transition from passive data storage to active, intelligent interpretation. While generative AI provides the technical means to offer sophisticated financial guidance, the path forward requires a careful balance between being proactive and maintaining customer trust. As competitors from outside the traditional banking sector continue to refine the user journey, banks must embrace a cultural and organizational shift toward “agentic” solutions—moving beyond simple chatbots to become true financial assistants