Enhancing AI powered, advisor‑led customer service through responsible, human‑led design
FNB has announced the enhancement of its virtual assistant platform, NAVi, as part of a broader move to strengthen advisor-led banking and improve how customers experience servicing in real time.
NAVi was launched as a virtual assistant on the FNB Banking App late last year, to enhance everyday banking for customers. This latest evolution represents a significant step-change in how AI is embedded into advisor workflows, helping bridge the gap between digital convenience and personalised experience.
The enhancement of NAVi moves beyond traditional self-service tools, introducing a more integrated model where AI supports advisors in customer interactions. This results in faster, more intuitive and consistent interactions without replacing human judgement which remains central to an elevated individualised financial journey.
“NAVi represents another innovative and important milestone in how we support our customers, through embedded AI,” says Johan Maree, Chief Executive Officer at FNB Nav. “Our focus is on empowering our advisors with intelligent tools that remove friction, enhance consistency and enable them to deliver meaningful advice at scale and in a way that is helpful, responsible and ultimately improves the customer experience.”
Rather than attempting to replace human expertise, NAVi is purposefully designed to strengthen it. The solution equips advisors with real‑time intelligence and contextual insights – where NAVi can assist an employee to quickly and efficiently access information that is pertinent to the customer’s needs – during live customer conversations, with guided next‑best actions soon to come. By reducing the need to navigate multiple systems, advisors can focus more on understanding customer needs, applying judgement, and building stronger relationships with customers.
“As customers’ financial needs grow more complex, the expectations placed on advisors continue to rise,” says Eric Enslin, CEO of FNB Private Banking and Advisory. “To meet those expectations consistently, advisors need systems that actively support them in real time, not slow them down. NAVi provides that critical layer of support by bringing relevant insights, context and guidance directly into the flow of conversation. This allows our advisors to spend less time navigating systems and more time applying judgement, building trust and delivering high-quality, personalised advice,”
Responsible and ethical AI adoption remains central to FNB’s approach. NAVi has built-in guardrails that support compliant, safe and transparent use of AI, while ensuring that human accountability remains firmly at the centre of every interaction. This provides both customers and advisors with confidence and trust in how AI is applied.
From an operational perspective, NAVi also drives measurable efficiency by simplifying tasks, reducing rework and improving first-time resolution in helping customers. This enables advisors to help more customers without compromising on quality, personalisation or service standards.
The rollout of NAVi aligns with FNB’s long-term vision to scale advice‑led banking through thoughtful and trustworthy technology. Further enhancements are already planned as the bank continues to evolve its AI‑enabled service model.
“Ultimately, NAVi reflects the kind of bank we are building; one where technology works quietly in the background to make human interactions more meaningful, more consistent and more impactful,” concludes Maree.
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