
State Bank of India (SBI) Chairman CS Setty announced that the bank is moving its entire cheque processing operation to artificial intelligence. Speaking after the lender's quarterly earnings, Setty said AI will…
State Bank of India (SBI) Chairman CS Setty announced that the bank is moving its entire cheque processing operation to artificial intelligence. Speaking after the lender's quarterly earnings, Setty said AI will handle repetitive, high-volume tasks like fraud prevention, anti-money laundering, and cheque clearing, freeing staff for higher-value roles that require human judgment.

The move is part of SBI's broader operational efficiency drive. Setty clarified that the technology will not replace customer-facing positions immediately. Customers can expect faster transaction processing and improved fraud detection. On subsidiaries, Setty ruled out any stake dilution or fresh listings for now.
Some may spin this as SBI preparing for mass layoffs, but Setty explicitly spoke of redeployment, not retrenchment. The real test will be whether the freed workforce is genuinely upskilled or simply shifted to other manual roles. Watch for the bank's next quarterly headcount numbers and staff training disclosures to judge if this is efficiency or just cost-cutting dressed up as innovation.
Source: hr.economictimes.indiatimes.com
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