5 Years Kate 🎂: inside KBC’s AI Playbook
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Dr. Barak Chizi & Kris Peeters
KBC CDAO Barak Chizi on building Kate, a 5-year AI assistant, and turning data & GenAI into real ROI in banking.
In this episode of The Data Playbook, host Kris Peeters talks with Dr. Barak Chizi, Chief Data & Analytics Officer at KBC Group, about 10+ years of industrialising AI: from 2,000+ use cases and an AI-driven anti-money laundering platform to Kate’s 5th birthday and KBC’s data strategy.
You’ll hear how KBC:
Uses the U-model to move AI projects from idea to production with clear go / no-go gates
Prioritises ROI over AI theatre, and why every use case needs a business owner
Built an AI-powered anti-money laundering platform, then turned it into a product for other banks
Upgraded Kate with OpenAI while keeping control, safety and vendor independence
Balances LLMs vs classic ML vs simple automation instead of “LLM all the things”
Treats AI and IP as strategic assets, not something to fully outsource
Built a highly diverse, PhD-heavy AI team and a recruiting process that actually tests thinking
Why soft logic and modelling human consciousness & intent might be the next frontier
Show notes & links
Foundations of soft logic & consciousness modelling
The Foundation of Soft Logic
On irrational human behaviour and decision-making
Dan Ariely – Predictably Irrational, Revised and Expanded Edition: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions
👉 https://www.amazon.com/Predictably-Irrational-Revised-Expanded-Decisions/dp/0061353248/
🎧 Listen to more episodes of The Data Playbook for real-world stories on data platforms, GenAI, data products and cloud independence from Europe’s leading data practitioners and leaders.
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