Interview with Christiane Vorspel, COO at Commerzbank

VORSPEL Commerzbank's “Momentum” strategy has two key objectives: we want to continue growing our customer business while consistently driving forward the transformation of the bank. We are succeeding in both areas because we have a clear focus on digitalization and carefully balance our investments. Our priorities are based on the bank's strategic levers. 

Across the board, we are investing specifically in AI with the aim of improving the customer interface, increasing the bank's efficiency, and optimizing our earnings. A current example is our AI-based call center assistant. It supports employees in customer dialogue and has been proven to reduce the processing time for inquiries. During the conversation, it provides relevant information in a structured manner, suggests formulations, and automatically creates a conversation log.

VORSPEL Customers are acting more and more independently. They decide how, when, and where they interact with us. They expect us to provide them with competitive digital services that are intuitive to use. The use of AI takes digitalization to a new level. Instead of complex forms, issues can now be resolved through direct communication with AI agents. We also strive to meet these demands through our digitalization measures. Our virtual assistant Ava handles everyday requests from our private customers anytime, seven days a week. Ava uses advanced generative artificial intelligence and is seamlessly integrated into our mobile banking app. Ava currently handles over 30,000 inquiries per month and independently resolves more than 70 percent of customer concerns directly and conclusively—without any waiting times.

VORSPEL Artificial intelligence is a central component of our strategy. AI affects the entire bank and shapes how we optimize processes, manage risks, and improve customer experience. To strengthen this strategic importance institutionally, we created the role of a Chief Data & AI Officer in 2025. His or her mission is to drive the adoption of AI across the Group and to closely integrate data management and AI use. We are investing over €140 million in our major AI initiatives, such as more effective fraud prevention and AI-supported process digitalization, by 2028. We expect this to generate measurable value contributions totaling €300 million. For 2025, we have achieved our targets both in terms of implementation and value contributions. 

VORSPEL The use of AI in banking requires guidelines: we want to enable innovation while also taking responsibility and providing resilient services. 

For Commerzbank, this means we have created a governance framework that combines the responsible use of AI in compliance with regulatory requirements with a high degree of technological agility. Our AI systems are developed to function in a secure, transparent, and traceable manner, while, at the same time, they create space for new, innovative applications that improve customer experience and efficiency.

Data protection, security, and fairness are just as important as the ability to adapt new AI technologies quickly and effectively. For us, this balance between innovation and responsibility is the key to using AI in banking in a meaningful, trustworthy, and future-oriented way.

VORSPEL We are currently experiencing a technological leap with AI, which represents a major change for employees and managers alike and requires support in the form of tailored change management measures. In general, many new technologies require both technical implementation and adequate leadership. At Commerzbank, we are tackling this challenge together. Therefore we have chosen AI as the focus topic for our annual kick-off event with 400 managers. We support our employees in a variety of ways, for example by establishing an AI Academy. This will be the central location where everyone in the bank can find AI learning formats that suit their everyday work. We are particularly focusing on practical formats. 

Another factor is the noticeable practical utility. For example, our employees can use an AI assistant called Sherlock AI. Sherlock AI has access to internal knowledge and provides general knowledge in a similar way to ChatGPT. Feedback from colleagues has been very positive, as Sherlock AI significantly simplifies access to internal instructions on KYC (editor's note: Know Your Customer) or money laundering, among other things, thus saving a lot of time. 

VORSPEL AI is a game changer. Financial institutions that find the right way to embed artificial intelligence in their strategy, processes, and culture will have a significant competitive advantage in the future. 

With Agentic AI, we are now entering a new phase in which AI not only provides support, but also performs tasks independently, prepares decisions, and orchestrates entire workflows. This opens up opportunities for completely new business models – such as hyper-personalized financial advice in real time or proactive services at a higher level that automatically accompany customers at important financial turning points.

For financial institutes, this means that we need to understand and adapt AI holistically, not only as a driver of efficiency, but as an engine for new value creation. Agentic systems are also becoming a kind of “co-pilot for bankers,” taking on complex analyses and creating space for genuine customer interaction. And we are already on this path: with our digital banking assistant and AI-supported call center assistant, we are already testing agentic architecture in order to gain initial practical experience and tap into the potential safely and responsibly.