Human-centred technology: the future of banking between innovation, ethics and service culture

At the heart of the digital transformation reshaping the financial world, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: technology alone is not enough.
While digitalisation, automation and open banking have made services more efficient, faster and accessible, they have also contributed to a banking experience that often feels impersonal.
The real challenge for banks of the future will not be how quickly they adopt the latest technology, but how well they restore human connection—redefining the relationship between innovation and interaction, between efficiency and trust.

Putting humans back at the centre

This is confirmed by Accenture’s report “Banking: The future is back”, which highlights how digital technology has made the experience more impersonal—reducing customers from individuals with specific needs to users funnelled into standardised journeys.
The result? Greater operational efficiency, but growing emotional distance between banks and their clients.
The new priority must be to bring banking back to a natural and familiar interaction. A shift in perspective that allows banks to treat every client as a unique individual—with distinct goals, needs and identity.

Skills and a culture of innovation

The challenge is cultural even more than technological. Machines can automate, but only people can generate trust.
That’s why banks must rethink organisational models, promote enlightened leadership and invest in upskilling. Traditional roles are evolving: repetitive tasks are delegated to algorithms, while human workers need to develop judgement, creativity, empathy and relationship-building skills.
Multidisciplinary teams and hybrid professionals must act as bridges between the language of technology and business needs.
Grasping the full potential of new tools will be essential—particularly with technologies like artificial intelligence, which, when placed at the service of human relationships, can restore a sense of being seen and understood.
Banks can then rediscover their advisory mission through a more empathetic, personalised and human approach.

Ethics as a strategic compass

Ethics must guide this transition. According to Gianluca Berghella, President and CEO of Armundia Group, approaching new technologies without a clear ethical framework carries serious risks: