Starling has introduced ‘Smart tools’, a series of artificial intelligence features designed to help the bank’s customers manage their finances, with new tools scheduled to be released weekly. The tools operate within Starling Assistant, which the bank describes as the UK’s first agentic AI financial assistant, capable of carrying out banking tasks on a customer’s behalf through natural language and voice prompts.
Initial tools and weekly rollout
The first set of smart tools, available from launch, includes four features. Tax saver assists SME customers by identifying transactions relevant to their tax obligations and automatically transferring a percentage of related income into a dedicated savings Space. Making Tax Digital guide helps SME customers determine whether they fall under the scheme and explains registration requirements. Spending quiz tests customers’ awareness of their spending across merchants and categories, while Student budget planner helps university students plan budgets based on income sources such as maintenance loans and part-time work, alongside living costs.
Two further tools are scheduled for release in August 2026. Rainy day saver will analyse a customer’s income, direct debits, and spending patterns to calculate a realistic savings amount, then set up transfers into a savings Space. Fraud controls will help customers activate protection features suited to their needs, including Starling’s Snatch-theft detector, Call Status Indicator, and Scam Intelligence tools.
Starling Assistant already allows customers to perform day-to-day banking activities through conversational commands, including setting up transfers, creating Spaces, and reviewing spending patterns. According to the bank, the smart tools are intended to make the assistant’s capabilities more accessible by offering pre-set prompts for specific tasks rather than requiring open-ended interaction.
Customer-driven development
Starling has said it will invite its 5 million retail and SME customers to submit ideas for future smart tools, to ensure new features address practical, real-world needs. This crowdsourced input is intended to run alongside the bank’s existing research and user-testing programme. The bank noted that all tools available at launch originated from customer requests submitted across the UK.
Harriet Rees, Group CIO at Starling, said customer engagement with Starling Assistant varies, noting that some customers use it daily while others remain uncertain about its capabilities. She said the smart tools are designed to clarify what the assistant can do by offering defined tasks with pre-programmed prompts.
Rees added that Starling intends to continue releasing new capabilities at pace, alongside crowdsourced ideas and external experimentation, as part of its approach to applying AI within banking services.
The rollout reflects a broader trend among UK banks to expand the practical scope of AI-driven tools beyond customer service chatbots, extending into areas such as tax compliance, fraud prevention, and budgeting support.
