Industry leaders explain how digital transformation is no longer just about platforms, but about invisible experiences and real-time decisions.
For decades, a banking operation involved forms, lines, signatures, waiting, and an often frustrating experience. Today, that scene is in the past.
Instead, a model emerges in which users do not have to ask for assistance: the financial system acts automatically, in advance and almost imperceptibly. That is invisible banking, an evolution that is already being felt in the region and in Argentina.
“Invisible banking is not a technology, but an experience,” summarizes Julián Colombo, CEO of N5, a company specializing in software for the financial industry, in dialogue with iProUP.
In this regard, the expert stresses that this “occurs when banking services disappear from the customer’s path and are naturally integrated into their lives. Like paying without taking out your wallet: it just happens.”
What is invisible banking and how does it impact Argentine banks?
This new paradigm is supported by Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning and predictive data analysis, which allow entities to anticipate the needs of each user.
Thus, a person can receive a credit offer while browsing an online store, or see their insurance coverage automatically adjust according to their behavior.
“Traditional automation digitizes the procedure; invisible banking eliminates it,” Colombo stresses.
And he adds: “The focus is on the customer not even realizing that there was a bank transaction, because everything was fluid, contextual and at the right time.”
This approach is already underway in Argentine public and private banks. At Banco Ciudad, for example, they developed CRAC, a virtual assistant based on generative AI that works through WhatsApp.
“It was born to simplify the life of the employee: manage leave, salary receipts or study days from the cell phone,” the entity reveals to iProUP.
“CRAC is designed with a warm personality, like a human assistant who understands and accompanies. It is not just about responding, but about generating trust,” they say. The result was overwhelming: in a short time, more than 80% of employees adopted the tool.
Meanwhile, Banco Galicia developed its Gala bot, which has already solved more than five million queries. “AI responds based on content developed by our legal and product teams. We don’t use external sources like Google. That guarantees safety and precision,” Diego Baccini, Head of Customer Care, tells iProuP.
But both in the City and in Galicia and in N5 there is something in common: a commitment to a model of attention where AI does not replace the human, but rather enhances it.
“Instead of a person typing the same answer a hundred times, the AI does it and the human supervises it. This saves time and focuses on what really adds value,” says Colombo.
AI with empathy and focus on the user
Beyond the technical, the key to invisible banking is the design of experiences that prioritize user comfort, without sacrificing warmth.
“We designed bots with human, friendly voices. In Galicia, we take great care of the emotional tone of digital conversations,” says Baccini.
Ciudad agrees: “We use AI to identify the tone of a conversation, detect if a customer is upset or confused, and give appropriate responses. We want the interaction to be natural, not robotic.”
From N5, Colombo reinforces this vision: “AI does not dehumanize the relationship with the customer, the scale. If you do things well, you can provide warm and efficient care, even when you have millions of users.”
N5, which works with banks and insurers in more than 18 countries, developed tools such as AIfred (predictive assistant), Pep (conversational coach) and Singular, which combines both models to replicate human advice in an automated and effective way.
In addition, the N5 Now platform allows entities to launch products or adjust business rules in real time, without depending on technical areas. “Instead of taking weeks, you can adapt a policy in hours,” Colombo points out. “That’s also invisible banking: changing quickly to serve better without the customer noticing.”
Beyond Attention: AI in Internal Processes and Decisions
Invisible banking also impacts internal processes. Banco Ciudad uses AI to train employees, measure performance, and even analyze sentiment in phone calls. “We can know if a conversation was positive, tense or unsatisfactory, and act accordingly,” they say.
In Galicia, meanwhile, AI helps anticipate problems and proactively contact the user, which allows them to resolve more than 70% of queries on the first contact.
And behind all that there is a cultural change. “Banks are moving from a reactive logic to a proactive one. From waiting for the customer to ask, to offering what they need before they say it,” says Colombo.
This approach involves breaking down silos between areas, training teams and adopting a technological mindset. “It’s not just about having AI, it’s about knowing how to use it to make an impact,” adds the N5 CEO.
Financial inclusion in the background, but effective
A key aspect of this quiet transformation is its ability to be inclusive. Through alternative data – such as online behaviour or location – institutions can offer financial products to those who do not have a credit history.
“Invisible banking allows you to include without the person having to ask permission. She doesn’t need papers or history: the data is there and speaks for her,” explains Colombo.
And he reinforces: “There are already apps that grant loans to delivery drivers or automatic insurance to rural producers. That is also inclusion.”
Challenges of invisible banking: integration and trust
Of course, not everything is simple. A recent study by Infobip reveals that more than half of banks still do not have their service channels integrated, which makes it difficult to offer truly seamless experiences.
In addition, the use of AI poses ethical challenges. “We have to be aware of algorithmic biases. That is why we apply principles of transparency, explainability and human supervision in each project,” says Venutolo.
Baccini agrees: “In financial matters, precision is everything. That’s why, even with AI, decisions go through people. The customer needs to know that there is someone behind it.”
For Colombo, the biggest challenge is cultural. “The tools exist, what is often missing is the decision to use them well. AI is not a magic solution, but if applied well, it transforms everything.”
How Invisible Banking Changes the Financial System
Invisible banking is no longer a futuristic promise, but a rapidly advancing present. Integrated into everyday life, silent but effective, this new way of operating redefines the relationship between users and financial institutions.
Through artificial intelligence, automation, personalization and contextual experience, banks such as Galicia and Ciudad, together with developers such as N5, are leading the way towards simpler, more efficient and inclusive digital banking.
And, as Colombo points out, “the true value of invisible banking is not what it makes visible, but what allows the customer to stop worrying. Because when everything works without you noticing, you know something is really well done.”
