Trends

Digitalisation and artificial intelligence: an unavoidable evolution

The stakes

Digitalisation, combined with the spectacular boom in artificial intelligence (AI), in particular generative AI, is forcing banks to invest massively and transform their practices and organisations to remain at the cutting edge of technology and offer it to their customers.

289M connections to the Regional Banks' "Ma Banque" app per month by its 12.5 million active users.
60% of European banks plan to increase their use of virtual assistance and chatbots over the next five years. Source: Statista, 2023

Digital technology is essential for meeting customer expectations in terms of modern and accessible banking services. The mobile app is now the main means of interaction with the bank, underlining the importance of robust and intuitive digital solutions. Crédit Agricole is in the process of undertaking an omnichannel transformation, integrating data and technology (including AI) to offer a consistent and customised experience through all its channels. The main challenges include a consistent customer experience, the customisation of services, the optimisation of performance and resources, and security and risk management.

Opportunities

  • Taking advantage of the new technologies, data and AI to enhance the customer experience, productivity and risk management.
  • Promote expertise and the human role in acting and deciding responsibly to support and advise customers in all aspects of the relationship by means of the digital tools at their disposal.
  • Capitalising on the Group’s ethics (trusted third party) in data usage and on the soundness of IT systems to guarantee the security of data.

Key actions

  • Continuation of the organisational and managerial transformation within Crédit Agricole S.A. entities to encourage empowerment.
  • Systematic provision of training in uses of artificial intelligence for all Group employees.
  • Roll-out of the “IT 2025” programme representing €1 billion in investment over three years to accelerate the technological transformation via resources and practices.
  • Development and ongoing improvement of mobile app features – via an ambitious mobile first strategy – for the individual and professional customers of the Group’s retail banks, including LCL and the Regional Banks (12.5 millions active users of Ma Banque).
  • New strategic positioning for the BforBank online bank rolled out in 2024, aimed at making it one of the market leaders in Europe by 2030.
  • Integration of innovations supported by La Fabrique by CA, such as Kolecto1 and Sline2.
  • Establishment of our “Information Systems Security Policy”, which defines the major principles of risk control, as well as their implementation through security, organisational and operational measures.

See also “The digital and human transformation“.

1 Kolecto is a management platform for VSBs and SMEs.
2 Sline is an SaaS solution aggregating all the services necessary for merchants to launch a smooth car rental offer.