Deutsche Bank has accelerated its lending decisions using an internally developed artificial intelligence platform. According to Marie-Jeanne Deverdun, the bank’s technology board member appointed this year, a project launched over the summer has reduced credit decision times for smaller corporate clients from weeks to minutes, Reuters reported.
The ADA platform and agent model
The bank built an internal AI platform called ADA, named after computing pioneer Ada Lovelace. On ADA, the bank develops, supervises and orchestrates AI agents. The system allows tracking of agent activity, integration of risk controls, and switching between AI models as technology advances.
Deverdun said that for smaller firms with simpler legal and organisational structures, turnaround times have fallen from weeks to minutes. For loans to multinational companies, the bank reported decision windows have shortened from months to weeks.
Cyber risk and regulatory scrutiny
Deverdun stressed that handling cyber risks is a top priority. She said the bank is closely monitoring debates about whether AI development is proceeding too quickly and is dedicating significant resources to protecting the bank from threats arising from new technologies.
At the same time, supervisors around the world are ramping up efforts to rein in AI-related risks while banks compete to implement the technology.
Industry context and spending plans
Deutsche Bank plans to invest more than €2.5 billion in additional technology spending between 2026 and 2028. Other industry moves include Barclays’ recent announcement that AI implementation will lead to about 5,000 job cuts this year, and Citigroup’s statement that AI can allow it to develop products up to 40 percent faster and cheaper.
Some large U.S. banks have begun blocking third-party AI agents from accessing customer accounts over concerns that advanced AI agents could pose risks to the banking system.
Legacy IT consolidation
The Deutsche Bank is also continuing efforts to simplify and consolidate legacy IT systems. In 2015 the bank’s previous management described its systems as "fragmented, cumbersome and too often simply incompatible." The outbreak of the war in Ukraine forced the bank to withdraw technology staff from Russia, complicating the situation, though the bank has reported progress on consolidation more recently.
An AI assistant contributed to preparing this article; a reporter edited and verified the final content.
