SINGAPORE – OCBC customers can expect to receive more personalised and better-informed financial advice, as the bank rolls out a training programme powered by generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) to sharpen how its wealth advisers engage clients and deliver recommendations.
The six-month programme, launched on April 15, will be made available to its 900 wealth advisers in Singapore.
Developed over 12 months, it uses Gen AI, powered by large language models guided by OCBC’s anonymised customer insights, to simulate realistic customer interactions and practise scenarios such as building investment portfolios, identifying risk profiles and managing client relationships.
For customers, this could translate into advisers who are better prepared to handle a wider range of financial queries, from basic planning needs to more complex investment decisions, as the training covers areas such as investment advisory, client management, product mastery and wealth planning, with an emphasis on both technical knowledge and communication skills, said the bank.
It also aims to strengthen how advisers engage customers, including tailoring financial recommendations to different life stages and needs.
Customers may also see more consistent and high-quality engagement, as the programme standardises the way that advisers are trained and assessed.
Previously, wealth advisers were trained through in-person, one-on-one sessions with supervisors, which depended on the supervisors’ availability. Advisers could take up to three weeks to secure a training session, with each supervisor typically coaching up to 10 employees.
OCBC said the use of Gen AI removes potential bias and emotions that can influence supervisor-led coaching, ensuring advisers are trained in responsible advisory and regulatory conduct to a consistent professional standard.
After each session, the AI will generate reports that highlight individual strengths and areas for improvement, enabling more targeted follow-up face-to-face coaching with supervisors.
“The right customers must be sold the right products at the right time,” said Mr Sunny Quek, OCBC’s head of global consumer financial services. He added that the Gen AI-powered programme supports the bank’s use of AI, digital and data capabilities to deliver services and give advice that is tailored to each customer’s needs.
With the new programme, advisers can practise independently using work devices. The Gen AI system dynamically adapts its responses based on what the adviser says, mimicking real-life customer conversations.
Advisers can repeat scenarios multiple times and receive immediate feedback, allowing them to refine both their technical responses and how they communicate with clients.
“The Gen AI training programme is designed to enhance and support continuous learning and skills development regardless of their age and experience level,” said Mr Bob Ng, OCBC’s head of personal and premier banking in Singapore.
He added that the programme mirrors real-world customer conversations.
“The Gen AI training programme also complements our existing training approach,” said Mr Ng, adding that the blended approach, combining Gen AI with targeted guidance, helps to ensure that advisers continue to improve over time, regardless of their experience or background.
A pilot version of the programme was run in 2025, and the bank has been progressively rolling it out to its wealth advisers since January 2026.
In its first three months of implementation, advisers who underwent the training were able to secure twice as many weekly client appointments compared with their own performance before the programme, and recorded a 50 per cent increase in revenue over the same period, according to the bank’s records.
“As one of the first to have practised with the Gen AI training programme, it has really changed how I practise my wealth advisory skills,” said wealth adviser Ng Zuolin.
She added that the programme has improved how she communicates with customers.
“With the programme, we have a platform to practise our delivery, refining our speech, tone and pacing. This has helped me articulate my thoughts more clearly, and my conversations with customers now have more structure while still flowing naturally,” she said.
“The programme responds just like a real customer would,” she said, adding that she is better able to ask relevant questions and address concerns of real-life customers.
The bank plans to roll out the programme to other markets, including Malaysia and Hong Kong, with training content tailored to local regulatory requirements and customer profiles.
