In October 2023, the Crédit Mutuel Arkéa has taken a major step forward by releasing a generative AI model as open source. This model, developed internally, is now accessible to developers on the platform Hugging Face. Designed specifically for the French language, it stands out for its low energy consumption compared to other similar models.

An AI Chatbot serving individual customers

One year after this announcement, the banking group is intensifying its efforts in the field of digital technologies. His new project consists of integrating a Large Language Model (LLM) within a chatbot dedicated to its individual customers. The objective is clear: to offer a quality customer supportavailable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Currently, this tool is in the testing phase with a sample of 500 customers. This phase, which began in July, will end in October. Thanks to this test, customers can interact from their personal space with a chatbot that provides immediate answers, instead of redirecting to traditional FAQs. The group’s spokesperson specifies: “This system facilitates access to information for our customers. »

A Strategically Informed Choice

For this chatbot, Crédit Mutuel Arkéa opted for the GPT-4o model from OpenAI, using the services Azure rather than its own AI model. This strategic decision results from several reasons:

• Compliance and data protection : We ensure that all safety standards are met.
• Rapid deployment : Through our existing partnership with Microsoft, we can integrate this technology effectively.

This choice made it possible to bring together varied teams, including members of the marketing and customer experience departments, as well as those from operations. Together, they are working on this innovative project.

Precise training focused on customer needs

The development of the chatbot is based on a corpus of 600 questions, developed through the analysis of customer messages sent to their advisors. This analysis gave rise to the definition of relevant themes on which the virtual assistant will be able to provide answers.

It’s important to note that this solution is text-only, with no support for images as of today. Although audio developments are possible, they are not part of the chatbot’s current functionalities.

A real time saving for advisors

The main objective of this deployment is to optimize the customer support reachability while reducing the number of unqualified calls. Thanks to this chatbot, customers now benefit from:

• Immediate responses : Access precise information at any time.
• Increased autonomy : Customers can resolve simple problems without waiting for an advisor.

When requests require more in-depth expertise, the chatbot redirects customers to a banking advisor for more personalized support.

By integrating AI and innovative technologies into its ecosystem, Crédit Mutuel Arkéa demonstrates its commitment to improving the customer experience. The chatbot, the result of a carefully considered strategy, is part of a process of continuous innovation, placing customer needs at the heart of its priorities. In the digital age, this initiative marks a significant step forward towards effective and accessible customer support.