- Sam Sidhu revealed his AI voice clone read part of Customers Bank's earnings call remarks
- The bank partnered with OpenAI to automate tasks like lending and client onboarding
- AI currently generates half of the bank's internal code, saving 28,000 work hours annually
In a dramatic moment during a quarterly earnings call, Sam Sidhu, chief executive of Customers Bank, revealed that part of his prepared remarks had not been spoken by him at all, but by an AI-generated version of his voice. Midway through the call, Sidhu disclosed that the voice delivering the scripted section was an AI clone, describing the move as potentially the first time a public company has used such technology in an earnings call. Sidhu said that the choice was made on purpose to show how the bank is using more and more artificial intelligence in its work, CNBC reported.
"The prepared remarks you heard on my behalf today were delivered by my AI clone, not read by me," Sidhu said.
The act also coincides with a new multiyear partnership between Customers Bank and OpenAI. As part of the deal, OpenAI engineers will work closely with the bank to automate tasks like lending and onboarding new clients, which are usually done by hand.
"AI-Native Bank"
The plan is part of a bigger plan to put Customers Bank ahead of its competitors in the race to use AI in the financial sector. Sidhu aims to deploy AI agents as a kind of digital workforce, automating core banking functions and accelerating operations. One key goal is to reduce loan processing timelines from weeks to just days, while scaling the business without proportionally increasing headcount.
Inside the organisation, early results are already visible. AI systems are currently generating roughly half of the bank's internal code, saving an estimated 28,000 hours of work - equivalent to avoiding the need to hire around 15 additional employees.
Sidhu thinks that these changes will raise the bank's efficiency ratio from about 49% to the low 40s, which could lead to higher returns as soon as next year.
Over the next six to twelve months, the bank plans to expand AI deployment across its core business lines. Sidhu says that the long-term goal is to turn the institution into a fully "AI-native" place where routine tasks are done automatically, execution speeds up, and growth is no longer linked to hiring more people.
He also hinted at looking into brand-new AI-driven business models that were too expensive to try before, where smaller teams would run automated systems instead of large operational staff.
The collaboration is expected to benefit both sides. As Customers Bank integrates AI deeper into its operations, OpenAI gains valuable real-world financial use cases to refine its models, particularly as it targets the finance sector as a key growth area.
