Was hearing about future of Finance from Deloitte. Was checking my mortgage outgoings too.

Got curious. So went to today’s Oracle-for-everything (not the trademarked one) and asked this:

Imagine this is 2035. Tell me how you see a Bank operating - in terms of Technology, People (employees) and (business) Processes. Be ruthless and visionary.

Freezing this in time here so I can check later. Hopefully I will have money for Internet. Or, perhaps Cyber Cafes become a thing again!

Am digressing. Anyways, here’s what ChatGPT has to say on my ask..

In 2035, banks will be radically different from what we know today—truly integrated with the most advanced technologies, ultra-efficient business processes, and driven by a radically redefined workforce. Let’s break it down:

Technology:

1. Hyper-Personalization through AI & Quantum Computing: Banks will leverage artificial general intelligence (AGI) to deliver financial products and services at a hyper-personalized level. Rather than just basic account services or robo-advisors, these AIs will anticipate your needs with extreme precision, using data from quantum computing models to predict market behavior, investment trends, and even your personal financial future.

2. Decentralized Finance (DeFi) & Blockchain Integration: Traditional banking systems will fully embrace blockchain for most of their infrastructure—imagine centralized banks operating seamlessly on decentralized systems, with secure, auditable transactions at the core. Many financial services like loans, insurance, and even asset management will be executed via smart contracts on decentralized ledgers, eliminating intermediaries and making transactions almost instantaneous.

3. Zero-Trust Cybersecurity: Cybersecurity will evolve beyond the current protocols of firewalls and passwords. Banks will implement zero-trust architectures where AI-powered surveillance is constantly analyzing every single transaction, even detecting fraudulent behavior before it happens. Biometric authentication (fingerprints, retinal scans, and even heartbeat patterns) will be the norm, ensuring impossible-to-fake security.

4. Holographic & Virtual Branches: Physical branches will be mostly obsolete for most customer needs. Instead, holographic interfaces and AR-powered virtual branches will allow customers to interact with “bankers” (AI agents) or even human experts through avatars. These virtual spaces will allow customers to manage complex financial tasks—from loan applications to investment consultations—from the comfort of their homes, or from anywhere in the world.

5. Integrated Finance in Everything (Embedded Banking): By 2035, banking will be so deeply embedded in everyday life that people won’t even think of it as a separate activity. Embedded finance will power the digital experiences within e-commerce, healthcare, and social platforms. You’ll use biometric data and micropayments seamlessly, transferring money or making investments without ever needing to open a “bank app.” All the tools will live in the background, automated and frictionless.

People (Employees):

1. AI and Humans in a Collaborative Ecosystem: Most of the “banking staff” will be AI agents, but these will work hand-in-hand with humans, creating a collaborative workforce. For instance, AI will handle routine customer service tasks like advising on savings, calculating loans, and providing investment options, while human experts will focus on more complex and nuanced areas—like crisis management, high-net-worth financial advisory, or ethically complicated decisions.

2. Niche, Highly Specialized Roles for Humans: As AI takes over the majority of operational tasks, human workers will transition to specialized roles in governance, innovation, strategy, and ethics. These roles will require deep expertise in machine ethics, quantum computing, and digital regulation. There will be a huge demand for experts in designing and auditing smart contracts, AI-human interface specialists, and AI trainers.

3. Employee Experience 2.0 (Holistic Well-being): Bank employees, particularly those in innovation hubs or in client advisory roles, will have access to personalized mental health support, neuro-boosters (cognitive enhancing wearables), and biometric work-life integration that allows for adaptive schedules based on personal productivity rhythms. Workers may have flexible hours or the option to “teleport” (via VR) into the office for high-level brainstorming sessions.

4. Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs): Some banks will transition into decentralized autonomous organizations, where employees and even customers hold voting power via governance tokens to influence the direction of the bank’s services, rates, and community investment initiatives. Traditional roles like branch managers will be replaced with governance councils made up of employees, customers, and even external stakeholders.

Business Processes:

1. AI-Driven Operations and End-to-End Automation: Routine processes such as risk assessment, fraud detection, and compliance monitoring will be completely automated. AI systems will not only spot anomalies in transactions but also predict and adapt to future risks, managing portfolios and loan books with near-zero human intervention. The entire credit and lending process, from application to disbursement, will be completed in minutes, using real-time data from a customer’s social, financial, and even health data streams.

2. Dynamic, Real-Time Decision-Making: Traditional quarterly financial reports will be a thing of the past. Banks will operate on a live, real-time financial pulse. Business decisions—like loan approvals, interest rates, and investment moves—will be made based on real-time data analytics, incorporating market movements, customer data, and AI projections. This will allow banks to respond to changes in the market instantly, giving them a massive competitive advantage.

3. Sustainability and Green Finance Integration: Every financial decision will take into account environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics. Banks will have fully automated systems that can model and calculate the sustainability impact of any loan or investment. Carbon credits and green bonds will be easily tradable within the same financial ecosystem, and every bank transaction will be logged for carbon footprints, incentivizing customers to act more sustainably.

4. AI & Blockchain-Driven Credit Scoring: Credit scores will no longer be just numbers based on FICO-style formulas. Instead, they’ll be dynamic AI-powered profiles that factor in a broad array of data, from spending habits to environmental impact to your ability to pay back loans in different life scenarios. Smart contracts will automatically adjust credit terms, loan repayment schedules, or offer better interest rates based on real-time behavior and environmental factors.

5. Integrated Ecosystem Services (Beyond Banking): Banks will not just manage money, but will be total ecosystem managers, offering products and services that extend far beyond banking. They will have full partnerships with healthcare systems, retailers, and even urban planning initiatives to create seamless living environments. For instance, a bank might offer you a home loan, bundled with personalized smart home technology, solar panel installation, and a subscription to health insurance, all tailored to your needs through its ecosystem.

In Short: In 2035, banking will be invisible, but more powerful than ever. It will operate without borders, with data, services, and money flowing across platforms and ecosystems in real-time. Technology, not people, will power most processes, but human employees will take on strategic, ethical, and governance roles, ensuring that the systems built to serve humanity work for everyone. Banks will become financial ecosystems—offering everything from personal health to investments to sustainable living—all through frictionless, AI-powered interfaces.