Artificial intelligence is becoming a central component of banking operations across emerging markets in the Caucasus and Central Asia, with ABB Bank integrating AI into its operational infrastructure rather than limiting it to pilot projects, according to EuroNews.
The Azerbaijani lender is using AI to automate processes, improve efficiency and enhance customer services while maintaining human oversight in key decision-making processes.
AI Becomes Part of Core Banking Infrastructure
According to EuroNews, ABB Bank has deployed more than 180 AI models across 86 business use cases, moving artificial intelligence beyond experimentation into everyday operations.
The bank says AI-related initiatives have generated approximately AZN 50 million (€25.8 million) in value over the past three years, while nearly 90% of its operations have become paperless.
To support future AI development, ABB Bank is investing in high-performance computing infrastructure, including Dell Technologies GPU servers powered by NVIDIA’s HGX B200 platform, enabling the training of advanced AI models and large language models.
AI Enhances Customer Experience
EuroNews reports that ABB Bank is also redesigning customer interactions through conversational artificial intelligence.
In 2025, the bank launched the AI assistants AI-nur and AI-khan, allowing customers to perform banking tasks using natural-language voice commands.
Since their launch, the AI assistants have handled more than 4 million customer interactions, supporting services such as card management, mobile payments and personalised financial insights based on users’ spending behaviour.
The bank has also introduced a hybrid human-AI model for payment collection, using automated voice calls while transferring more complex cases to human specialists.
Emerging Markets Move Faster on AI
According to EuroNews, banks in countries such as Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan are benefiting from fewer legacy technology constraints than many long-established financial institutions in Europe and North America.
This has enabled faster adoption of mobile banking, AI-powered services and digital-first operating models.
ABB Bank says its broader “Beyond Banking” strategy aims to transform its digital platform into a lifestyle ecosystem that combines financial services with areas such as e-commerce, travel planning and entertainment, illustrating how AI is becoming an integral part of modern banking infrastructure across emerging markets.
