LG Uplus has officially launched an "AI financial secretary" developed with Welcome Savings Bank, the first in the savings bank sector to incorporate generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

LG Uplus said on April 24 the AI financial secretary, applied to Welcome Savings Bank's mobile app Welcom Digital Bank (Welbank), combines the EXAONE large language model from LG AI Research and Welcome Savings Bank data with LG Uplus' know-how in building and operating AI agents.

Welcome Savings Bank customers can use the AI financial secretary to handle financial tasks by entering voice or text in their usual speaking style without navigating complex menus. They can also receive tailored responses based on their usage history and financial data. The service includes functions to summarise and analyse financial information, and it is designed to require a final confirmation step when executing transactions to strengthen security.

The AI financial secretary was applied on March 23 and went through about a month of pilot operation. It received particularly strong reviews among customers aged 60 and older, who said they could check financial information and make transfers using only voice commands. LG Uplus and Welcome Savings Bank are working to enhance performance based on feedback from the pilot period and will apply the latest AI models sequentially.

Ahn Hyung-kyun (안형균), head of LG Uplus' Enterprise AI Business Group, said the launch was a meaningful case combining AI technology optimised for Korea based on EXAONE with Welcome Savings Bank's drive for innovation. He said the company would expand conversational AI services across the financial sector, including insurance, securities and cards.