ING Netherlands has implemented an artificial intelligence (AI) assistant to accelerate the processing of mortgage applications, Finextra.com reported. The pilot project began in March, and the bank is rolling the tool out gradually across its operations.
What the AI agent does
The AI agent analyzes mortgage applications that previously required manual assessment. It helps surface possible outcomes and offers suggestions to advance cases, enabling faster case handling and more consistent decisions.
Crucially, final decisions remain with ING staff — the bank has not transferred decision-making authority to the automated system.
Why the bank is adopting it and how work will change
Tom Degen, head of ING Netherlands’ mortgage business, said the new solution allows employees to focus on more complex applications and on personal contact with mortgage brokers, while the AI assistant handles simpler evaluation tasks. As the bank expands the tool’s role step by step, it expects shorter processing times and more uniform assessments.
Bahadır Yılmaz, ING’s head of analytics, emphasized that customers care less about the underlying technology than about receiving reliable and understandable answers. ING stresses transparency and compliance: the use of the AI agent is designed to remain aligned with the bank’s governance and customer-centric standards.
Practical implications
The pilot launched in March, and ING will increase the AI agent’s responsibilities based on the results. The stated aims are to reduce processing times, harmonize decision-making, and free staff from routine tasks that the system can perform efficiently.
This initiative is part of a broader push by ING into digitalisation and automation, alongside other innovations the bank has been testing, including discussions around subscription-based retail banking services.
Conclusion
ING Netherlands’ AI assistant is intended to make mortgage application processing more efficient while preserving human oversight of final decisions. The gradual rollout and emphasis on transparency aim to ensure that the technology delivers reliable, understandable outcomes for customers.
