LHV Bank launches AI-driven email service for customers
LHV Bank has introduced agentic AI to manage customer emails, becoming the first retail banking operation to deploy this technology live. The solution, created in collaboration with Gradient Labs, automates end-to-end service tasks, covering dispute resolution, loan requests, and account onboarding. This deployment follows a six-month trial that started in March, during which the bank tested the system’s capabilities under real-world conditions.
Kris Brewster, LHV Bank’s interim CEO, confirmed the rollout in a LinkedIn post. “LHV Bank went live today with agentic AI for customer emails, powered by Gradient Labs,” Brewster wrote on Thursday. The interim CEO took over leadership of LHV Bank from Erki Kilu at the beginning of April. “We took our time getting here because in a bank the guardrails matter more than getting live quickly,” his statement continues. “Early days, but very promising signs and a lot more agentic customer servicing features to come.”
Gradient Labs designed its AI framework to prioritize compliance and customer satisfaction over cost savings, according to CEO Dimitri Masin. In a recent interview, he explained that the technology improves service quality by handling interactions more effectively while maintaining human oversight. The company already supports clients such as Wise, Zego, and Plum, and has secured $26 million in Series A funding from backers including Octopus Ventures and CommerzVentures.
LHV Bank, part of Estonia’s LHV Group, has previously integrated AI into regulatory workflows, including Project SARathon, a tool for processing Suspicious Activity Reports. The bank also uses Luminance, a legal tech platform, to analyze contracts automatically. The new email-handling AI builds on these efforts, reinforcing the bank’s position as an early adopter of AI in financial services.
