Bank of America’s AI robot learns 60,000 ways to talk about the coronavirus

The pandemic has given a boost to digital banking, which involves less paperwork, greater use of electronic services and fewer in-person meetings. — Reuters

When it came to Covid-19, Bank of America Corp’s virtual assistant Erica had a steep learning curve.

The artificial-intelligence program has come to recognise 60,000 coronavirus-related terms as customers seek to manage their cash flow, increase savings and watch their spending during the pandemic. David Tyrie, head of digital banking, sat down with a team in March to teach the app a couple hundred virus-related words and phrases. Since then, use of Erica on Bank of America’s mobile app and website has surged to a record.