From ATMs to AI: The History of Personalized Banking
Wed Jan 28 2026
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In this episode of Deep Learning with PolyAI, Nikola Mrkšić sits down with Nathan Pearson, GM, Financial Services at PolyAi, to trace the evolution of personalized banking. From branch tellers and ATMs to digital channels and AI-driven experiences, they explore how banks have historically balanced scale, efficiency, and trust, and why personalization has always been central to customer relationships.
The conversation looks at why personalization has always mattered in financial services, how each new channel changed customer expectations, and what today’s AI moment has in common with past shifts. While technology keeps changing, the core challenge for banks hasn’t: delivering personal, trusted service at scale.
Together, they discuss:
How early branch banking set the original standard for personalized serviceHow online and mobile banking reshaped customer expectations around convenienceWhy “self-service” has never meant “impersonal” for customersHow each new technology promised efficiency, but introduced new tradeoffsWhat banks can learn from history as they deploy AI across customer journeysThe big takeaway: while tools keep changing, the goal hasn’t. Customers still want banking experiences that feel personal, reliable, and easy — even when they’re powered by automation.
If you’re thinking about how AI should support (not replace) personalization for your business, be sure to tune in.
Follow PolyAI on LinkedIn Watch this and other episodes of the Deep Learning pod on YouTube
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Send us a text In this episode of Deep Learning with PolyAI, Nikola Mrkšić sits down with Nathan Pearson, GM, Financial Services at PolyAi, to trace the evolution of personalized banking. From branch tellers and ATMs to digital channels and AI-driven experiences, they explore how banks have historically balanced scale, efficiency, and trust, and why personalization has always been central to customer relationships. The conversation looks at why personalization has always mattered in financial services, how each new channel changed customer expectations, and what today’s AI moment has in common with past shifts. While technology keeps changing, the core challenge for banks hasn’t: delivering personal, trusted service at scale. Together, they discuss: How early branch banking set the original standard for personalized serviceHow online and mobile banking reshaped customer expectations around convenienceWhy “self-service” has never meant “impersonal” for customersHow each new technology promised efficiency, but introduced new tradeoffsWhat banks can learn from history as they deploy AI across customer journeysThe big takeaway: while tools keep changing, the goal hasn’t. Customers still want banking experiences that feel personal, reliable, and easy — even when they’re powered by automation. If you’re thinking about how AI should support (not replace) personalization for your business, be sure to tune in. Follow PolyAI on LinkedIn Watch this and other episodes of the Deep Learning pod on YouTube