AI and the Human Touch In the world of financial technology, where innovation often promises as much disruption as it does improvement, the future of AI promises to transform how financial services engage with customers and streamline operations.

Teo Blidarus, CEO and co-founder of FintechOS a London based technology provider has built his career on the conviction that technology isn't just about efficiency but about making services more accessible, adaptive, and, crucially, human. Blidarus's latest focus? The potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to reshape the financial sector. But while many hail generative AI for its ability to create content and mimic human interaction, Blidarus believes its static nature has inherent limits. For him, the future lies in a newer frontier: agentic AI.

"Generative AI has transformed user interfaces through hyper-personalisation, context-aware chatbots, and efficiency improvements for administrative teams," he says. Yet there is a 'but': "Generative AI remains static and dependent on human intervention after deployment, limiting its use in the financial sector."

By contrast, agentic AI operates dynamically. It doesn't just respond to inputs; it adapts and acts independently based on evolving data, enabling financial institutions to move beyond content creation into decision-making and proactive customer service. "Agentic AI, which adapts independently to take actions rather than generate content, is overcoming these limitations and unlocking new customer experiences," Blidarus explains.

What does that look like in practice? According to Blidarus, the results are already visible, with agentic AI carving new paths in insurance and banking. "One standout example is the development of personalised insurance products," he says. "With agentic AI, insurers can now offer coverage tailored automatically to each customer's unique profile, helping individuals and businesses find the perfect fit."

The implications are clear: no more generic policies with broad exclusions. Instead, insurers can create dynamic products that flex with changing circumstances. Banking, too, is seeing rapid innovation. "In banking, agentic AI is similarly driving innovation, customising borrowing and savings products to enhance the effectiveness of financial services for all," Blidarus says.

Such developments promise more than just convenience; they could revolutionise how customers engage with their financial providers. A future where a bank account dynamically adjusts interest rates based on a user's spending habits or where an insurance policy recalibrates premiums in real time based on shifting risk profiles is no longer a far-off dream.

But what about the perennial question of jobs? The spectre of automation has loomed over every technological breakthrough, and AI is no exception. Will the rise of agentic AI spell doom for jobs in financial services?

Blidarus dismisses such fears, framing the evolution of work as a historical constant. "Technological advancements, from the internet to production lines, have always transformed the nature of work," he says. The fintech sector, in particular, has long been a leader in automation, driving efficiency through low-code platforms and streamlined processes.

AI, he argues, continues this trajectory but with a twist. "In the past decade, the fintech industry has led the way in streamlining processes for legacy institutions through efficiency-driven platforms like low-code integrations and automated decision-making," Blidarus explains. "Now, the integration of AI—both generative and agentic—is taking this further, enabling banks, insurers, and other providers to deliver hyper-personalised products and enhance administrative efficiency."

Far from eliminating roles, AI is creating demand for new skill sets. "While these advancements reduce the need for human oversight and routine admin tasks, they also empower companies to expand their products and services offerings, driving demand for new roles in emerging areas," he says.

For Blidarus, the narrative isn't one of replacement but reinvention. By automating repetitive tasks, AI frees human workers to focus on creativity, strategy, and innovation. The result? A workforce that's not just leaner but smarter.

Blidarus's optimism doesn't blind him to the challenges ahead. Implementing agentic AI at scale will require financial institutions to rethink not only their technology stacks but also their approach to customer relationships. And while hyper-personalisation sounds appealing, it raises thorny questions about privacy, data security, and algorithmic accountability.

Still, for Blidarus, these hurdles are opportunities in disguise. He sees FintechOS's role as providing the tools to help legacy institutions modernise without losing sight of what makes them trustworthy: their relationships with customers. "Our role is to provide the building blocks that allow financial institutions to innovate efficiently," he says.

That commitment to collaboration is what makes Blidarus's vision so compelling. He's not selling a future dominated by machines but one where technology and human ingenuity work hand in hand to create better outcomes for everyone. It's a vision that's as ambitious as it is grounded, and if agentic AI lives up to its potential, it might just redefine what we expect from financial services.

Blidarus leaves little doubt about where he believes the industry is headed. "The integration of AI—both generative and agentic—is enabling banks, insurers, and other providers to deliver hyper-personalised products and enhance administrative efficiency," he says.

The question isn't whether AI will change financial services but how quickly we'll see those changes unfold. If Blidarus is right, the pace may be quicker than we think.