Starling: How Can AI Assistants Help UK Financial Literacy?

In what the neobank claims is a “UK-first”, Starling has launched an agentic AI financial assistant for its UK users. The tool, which was built on Google Gemini, has been designed to help Starling's customers with money management and accessibility.

The “Starling Assistant”, developed over the course of eight years of AI development, is accessible through voice commands and natural language prompts as part of a new conversational interface.

It can carry out banking tasks on behalf of the user, such as setting up personalised savings accounts and organising bill payments once the prompt is given. 

The bank also introduced two UK-firsts in 2025 as it builds its digital portfolio.

Personal customer accounts can benefit from the financial assistant with immediate effect. 

Some of the tool's uses include the ability to work towards savings goals. For instance, if a user was to give Starling Assistant a deadline and goal (e.g. "save £500 by 15 July 2026), the tool would be able to give helpful advice and a timeline.

The bank also notes that the financial assistant can aid with budget control, with users able to set up dedicated budgets for regular financial transactions such as grocery shopping or bills, with the ability to transfer money to each space on payday.

“It’s time to embrace a new era of banking, one that’s powered by agentic AI. At Starling, we want to encourage our customers to trust that AI can help them with money management and we’re excited to be pioneering the use of this cutting edge technology to help people be good with money” says Harriet Rees, Starling’s Group Chief Information Officer.

The AI assistant can also answer questions in detail for customers that wish to have better understanding of spending, in addition to any questions they have regarding spending patterns and habits. 

Accessibility and security

Starling Assistant also comes with a wide range of accessibility features, such as tailored support for vulnerable customers. 

Practical help offered by the agent also includes access to specific information, such as PIN reminders and fraud advice. 

“By asking simple questions, customers can build good money habits and better organise their finances,” Harriet adds. 

“We’ll continue to develop Starling Assistant, feeding more of our AI capabilities into this single interface. No idea is too bold right now. From this leading position, we’re excited to work with the industry to develop entirely new customer experiences which in time will completely redefine what banks can help customers to achieve.”

The rollout of Starling Assistant

Rollout of the AI assistant across business accounts and joint accounts will follow “soon”, with businesses able to benefit from the conversational banking experience. 

The bank’s prior AI products, announced in 2025, are also available in the assistant. It also claims “UK-firsts” for Spending Intelligence, which allows customers to ask natural language questions to learn more about spending habits. 

Additionally included is the Scam Intelligence, which aids in the detection of online marketplace scams. By integrating these tools with the bank’s new agentic capabilities, it is further cementing Starling’s reputation for its AI innovation. 

Raman Bhatia, Starling’s Group CEO, explains: “Gen AI has transformative potential for financial services and Starling is showing what’s possible, whether it’s protecting people from scams or helping them better understand their spending. 

“Agentic AI is the next step in banking and I’m thrilled that Starling’s customers will be the first to benefit from this cutting-edge technology.”

The growing role of AI in banking

The AI Assistant is built on Google Cloud’s Gemini platform. Customers that wish to can opt out of the feature, in line with the bank’s commitment to privacy. 

Graham Drury, Director, FSI, Google Cloud in the UK and Ireland notes: “AI is fundamentally changing how people interact with their finances. We are moving away from clicking through menus and navigating complex apps, toward simply having a conversation about your money. 

“Built with Google Gemini, this new wave of agentic AI doesn’t just answer questions; it understands everyday language and does the heavy lifting of budgeting and organising bills for the user. 

“It’s a powerful example of using AI to make money management more intuitive, accessible, and secure for everyone.”