Speed, Cost, and Control: What Banks Need to Know About AI Agents

A bank CEO used an AI clone on an earnings call…and that was just the start.Ron Shevlin and Stacey Bryant get into what AI agents could actually mean for banking, from back-office automation and decision-making to governance, blockchain, and why most banks are still asking the wrong questions about AI.Real talk on where the industry is headed and what community banks should actually be paying attention to. Show Notes:This bank CEO let his AI clone handle an earnings call — now he's signing an OpenAI dealAgents are starting to operate real systems — who’s actually in control?Ron's SubstackSubscribe to the What's Going On In Banking podcast here: https://qrco.de/bgfUYXChapters[00:00] Intro + Banking Conference Talk[02:22] Bank CEO Uses AI Clone on Earnings Call[03:39] Ron’s Take on the OpenAI Deal[06:05] Governance & Compliance Concerns[07:06] The Bigger Conversation Around AI Agents[08:14] “Who’s Actually Controlling the AI?”[10:03] AI Identity, Blockchain & “Know Your Agent”[12:28] Stablecoins, Payments & AI Agents at Scale[13:43] Why Banks May Be Overthinking AI Risk[15:25] AI Agents Won’t Start With Payments[17:13] The REAL Strategic Question for Banks[18:28] AI’s Biggest Advantage: Speed[20:09] Cost, Change Management & Operational Risk[22:08] Stacey’s Argument for Blockchain in Banking[25:12] Ron: “Don’t Invest in Blockchain”Send us Fan MailSubscribe to the What's Going On In Banking podcast here:https://qrco.de/bgfV82