Next-generation intelligent systems are moving towards more advanced cognitive-like capabilities, and are already redefining CX in banking and financial services in 2025.
This is according to Brendan van Staaden, Chief AI Officer at financial transactional and payment ecosystem specialist MoData, who says 2025 will be the year of agentic AI.
“AI as we have come to know it shifts with each passing day. It has become interactive, predictive and almost projecting human-like attributes,” he says. “The new era of agentic AI represents not just a technological upgrade, but a fundamental shift in how banking and financial services operate and compete. Early adopters of advanced AI applications will be best positioned to deliver exceptional customer experiences, mitigate risks in real-time and unlock innovative growth opportunities.”
Van Staaden explains that agentic AI goes beyond traditional machine learning and RPA, enabling autonomous (sometimes federated) decision-making, hyper-personalised services and seamless customer experiences.
“In agentic AI, multiple large language models speak to one another and federate to come up with the 'most correct' responses. In my view, it enables one of the more secure and trustworthy AI information rendering methodologies, given that these AIs can cross-question and test one another, and if one AI is publishing something that seems to be in breach of a set of protocols or rules, the other AI can question it and iterate on the point, and they will come up with a more informed answer based on the federated decisioning that they do.”
He says: “Here we have AIs that can perceive, reason, plan and act, furiously crafting the path towards the ultimate, physical AI, which transcends purely digital or virtual applications by embedding AI capabilities into robotic or mechanical systems. With this evolution of AI, the new way of work is being created as we speak. Our banking and financial services landscape is on the cusp of a profound transformation, spurred by the rapid evolution of AI. The natural progression of conversational AI is upon us.”
Van Staaden notes: “It's important to differentiate an agent from a chatbot. An agent leverages far more NLU, exhibits autonomy, can make decisions based on context and proactively adapt actions to achieve defined goals – delivering a more dynamic and intelligent experience than traditional chatbots.”
Much like humans form opinions based on past and current data, agentic AI uses historic information and current information to inform its predictive model. “And when you're using machines that can process a million times faster than any human being, you're making short work of things that would take us months to do,” Van Staaden says.
In banking and financial services, agentic AI will be transformative for customer engagement, fraud and risk management, and internal efficiency, he believes.
Redefining customer engagement
With local banks already exploring the possibilities of agentic AI, Van Staaden says the banking customer of 2025 can expect more personalised interactions that match their unique financial goals and lifestyles.
“Next-generation AI systems, trained on vast datasets and equipped with sophisticated natural language processing, will act as virtual agents capable of conversing with customers, providing tailored guidance and seamlessly adjusting product offerings in real-time. These systems go beyond basic chatbots; they learn continuously and adapt to individual behaviour, transforming one-size-fits-all banking into an individualised relationship experience,” he says.
Real-time fraud detection and risk management
Van Staaden says agentic AI will also help mitigate fraud.
“With fraud and security threats on the rise, financial institutions must stay ahead of bad actors in an increasingly digital realm. Agentic AI analyses massive transaction volumes in real-time, identifying patterns and anomalies that might indicate fraudulent behaviour. By automating risk assessments and issuing instant alerts, these systems minimise financial damage and protect consumer trust. Moreover, AI-augmented, federated and collaborative compliance monitoring ensures that banks stay aligned with dynamic regulatory requirements, reducing the risk of penalties and reputational harm,” he says.
Operational efficiency through intelligent automation
Beyond customer-facing applications, next-generation AI fosters greater back-office efficiency, Van Staaden says.
Agentic AI will enable automated underwriting, claims processing and document verification to reduce manual workloads, enabling human teams to focus on higher-value tasks such as strategic decision-making and complex customer support. The result: streamlined operations, significantly reduced costs and faster turnaround times, all of which boost institutional agility and availability in a competitive marketplace.
“The technology enhances performance and turns people into super users,” he says.
Enabling new revenue streams
As digital banking accelerates, AI-driven insights will unlock new opportunities for innovation, Van Staaden says.
“From predictive analytics that identify cross-sell and upsell possibilities to intelligent portfolio management that advises on wealth strategies, AI is creating novel revenue streams. Agentic AI not only improves existing services but also opens the door to entirely new product categories – ranging from personalised financial coaching to real-time, event-triggered lending,” he says.
Preparing for the future of SA banking
In 2025, banks and financial services businesses should prepare to harness agentic AI, Van Staaden says. “They should be having discussions at board and executive level and bring in the right partners to help them strategise and build the right models,” he says.
He notes: “Agentic AI is not something you plug in, and it’s not generative AI tools like ChatGPT. The real McCoy are the things that must be specifically crafted inside of a business to make sense. And this is why we're so strong in our space, because we understand the fraud risks, the anti-money laundering requirements, the call bank switching and the key fundamentals of fintechs.”
Van Staaden highlights MoData’s focus on agentic AI and federated decisioning solutions, which aims to empower financial institutions to remain resilient and future ready. By integrating advanced data engineering, state-of-the-art AI models and user-centric design, MoData delivers applications that redefine both the customer journey and operational workflow.
“Our commitment is to drive business outcomes that benefit consumers, regulators and stakeholders alike, ensuring that the next generation of AI truly transforms the fabric of banking for good,” he says.
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