The upcoming book, Bank 5.0: The Rise of the Agentic Bank, by Brett King, is set to launch on 19 November 2026 at the Singapore FinTech Festival. This eighth banking book by King presents a visionary forecast of the future of banking, where AI agents play a crucial role in driving economic activity. The book's central argument is that the next customer of the bank may not be a human at all, but rather an AI agent.
King's thesis, as stated in the book, is that by the middle of this century, a significant portion of economic activity will be driven by machines. This projection has far-reaching implications for the banking industry, as it will require financial infrastructure to be built around these AI agents. The book explores the concept of agentic banking, where the interface is the agent, and everything else is a historical wrapper that generative interfaces will dissolve.
The Case for Agentic Banking
The book presents a comprehensive case for agentic banking, starting with the history of automata and moving on to the current state of AI technology. King argues that today's agentic tools are already sufficient to automate most banking workflows, and that banks do not need to wait for artificial general intelligence to be disrupted. Instead, they can leverage the capabilities of current AI systems to transform their operations.
The book also explores the concept of economic orchestration, where banks transition from financial intermediation to economic orchestration. This requires a fundamental shift in the way banks operate, with a focus on enabling AI agents to initiate, negotiate, and execute economic activity. King presents a roadmap for banks to achieve this transition, which involves a three-year transformation plan.
Key Components of Agentic Banking
The book identifies several key components of agentic banking, including identity, settlement, credit decisioning, and compliance. These components will need to be re-designed to accommodate AI agents, which will require a new governance model. King proposes a model where humans govern objectives, boundaries, and accountability, while AI executes within constraints.
The book also explores the role of data in agentic banking, where a bank's ability to compete will depend on its data lake and foundation model strategy. King argues that a bank will be able to compete without a classic core banking system, but not without a data lake and foundation model strategy. This requires a fundamental shift in the way banks approach data management and analytics.
Implications for the Banking Industry
The book has significant implications for the banking industry, as it presents a visionary forecast of the future of banking. King argues that banks that fail to adapt to the rise of agentic banking will be left behind, while those that embrace this new paradigm will be well-positioned for success. The book provides a roadmap for banks to achieve this transition, which involves a three-year transformation plan.
The book also explores the potential risks and challenges associated with agentic banking, including the need for regulatory supervision to move into the rail, with rules written as executable code and agents supervising agents. King argues that this will require a fundamental shift in the way regulatory bodies approach supervision, with a focus on enabling AI agents to operate within a framework of rules and constraints.
- The rise of agentic banking, where AI agents drive economic activity
- The need for banks to transition from financial intermediation to economic orchestration
- The importance of data management and analytics in agentic banking
- The potential risks and challenges associated with agentic banking, including regulatory supervision
Conclusion
In conclusion, Bank 5.0: The Rise of the Agentic Bank presents a compelling case for the future of banking, where AI agents play a crucial role in driving economic activity. The book provides a roadmap for banks to achieve this transition, which involves a three-year transformation plan. As King notes, the destination is certain, but the journey is less so, and banks that fail to adapt to the rise of agentic banking will be left behind.
