Starling, a UK digital bank, has launched a new generative AI chatbot named ‘Spending Intelligence’, integrated within its mobile app.
The chatbot is designed to answer customer queries about their spending habits.
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It is powered by Gemini, Google’s LLM, and operates within the Google Cloud Platform, where Starling hosts its tech infrastructure.
Spending Intelligence is now available to all Starling customers, including personal and business account holders.
The chatbot is accessible via a search bar located at the top of the existing “spending” section of the app, providing users with insights into their spending patterns across more than 50 customisable categories.
The new chatbot builds on this functionality by enabling users to ask questions about their spending during defined timeframes.
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By GlobalDataSpending Intelligence draws only on data from within customers’ Starling accounts and does not offer financial advice, such as investment suggestions or savings strategies, due to regulatory boundaries.
The feature is free to use and, according to Starling’s chief information officer Harriet Rees, there are “absolutely no plans to make it paid for use”, according to This is Money.
By analysing the types of questions customers ask, Starling also hopes to identify opportunities for further AI deployment, such as fraud detection and onboarding processes.
As part of its agreement with Google, any data received through customer interactions with the chatbot will not be used to train Gemini’s LLMs.
While future updates may include features such as suggesting ways to save money, for now, the chatbot is focused solely on providing insights into spending.
Rees said: “We’re having a think about how you could save. But we genuinely believe giving customers insights about how they are spending is the best way to get them thinking about where they could save.”
In April, Starling Bank’s Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) division, Engine by Starling, established its first international subsidiary, Engine by Starling Services US.
