How Important Is ‘The Human Touch’ in Customer Service as Firms Increasingly Use AI?

A couple of years after its initial boom, artificial intelligence (AI) still remains a huge buzzword in the fintech industry, as every firm looks at a new way of integrating the tech into its infrastructure to gain a competitive edge. Exploring how they are going about doing this in 2025, The Fintech Times is spotlighting some of the biggest themes in AI this February.AI has taken the world by storm, massively impacting the customer service sector. However, while some organisations may feel that they can replace human workers with technology, the ‘human touch’ remains an important factor for many consumers. But how important is human contact in a world where AI has the potential of a faster, more streamlined customer service experience?Empathy and critical thinking neededAllen Bonde the CMO at TreviPayPerhaps AI’s biggest flaw is its inability to understand a situation from an emotional standpoint. In finance, empathy with someone’s situation is an absolute must and according to Allen Bonde the CMO at TreviPay, the B2B payments firm, this is why the human touch is still needed in a...

Read More........ → February 12, 2025

World’s largest foodservice company Sysco says Sri Lanka is its heartbeat

Sysco Executive Vice President and Chief Information and Digital Officer Tom PeckFortune 500 company with $ 76 b in revenue has doubled technology staff in two yearsMarking 10 years of operations in Sri Lanka with over 1,000 employees, commits to invest further in capacity and capabilitiesSets up Sysco Cyber security Operations Centre in Colombo buttressing existing Sysco Technology’s Global 24x7 Operations Command Centre and Sysco’s e-Commerce platforms and operationsStresses SL operation is “mission critical” as Sysco eyes greater share in $ 1 t global food marketSysco LABS awarded Best Exporter Award in ICT sector at Presidential Export Awards for both 2021/22 and 2022/23A Fortune 500 company and world’s largest foodservice company Sysco says its Sri Lanka operations is “mission critical” and growing two times faster prompting more investments in capacity and capabilities.Locally known as Sysco LABS and established in 2013, over the past decade and since fully acquired in 2017 it has grown to become Sysco’s largest Global In-House Centre playing a critical technology role to the...

Read More........ → September 22, 2024

What are the fuel cycle challenges of tripling nuclear capacity?

Leading figures from across the fuel cycle say they are ready to meet increased demand, but set out areas where change is required to help make it happen, in a World Nuclear Symposium session. (Image: World Nuclear Association)The background More than 120 nuclear energy and technology companies and 25 countries have signed up to the pledge to aim to at least triple global nuclear energy capacity by 2050. One key question is how fuel supplies will be able to expand if such a goal is to be achieved. Here are extracts of what key sector figures said during a discussion on the subject.Nicolas Maes, CEO Orano Nicolas Maes said that on mining Orano's current strategy was to expand existing projects, while in the medium term it was "revisiting our exploration policy and the means that we are allocating to exploration ... we believe that there are many areas in this world that have been vastly unexplored". It was also developing "mining techniques to make deposits that were today not so accessible, accessible - or non-conventional deposits that could make sense now". He used the analogy of...

Read More........ → September 17, 2024

Viewpoint: Providing a platform for young nuclear professionals : Perspectives

Could you tell us about the current IYNC priorities?Kristine Madden, president of the International Youth Nuclear Congress (IYNC), discusses the key challenges and opportunities for young nuclear professionals in the near future.IYNC is a global organisation of young nuclear professionals committed to bridging the knowledge gap between generations and fostering international collaboration. Through different initiatives, we not only support professional growth but also enhance public understanding of the potential of nuclear technologies.Since the last Congress in Japan in 2022, global interest in nuclear energy has continued to grow. Both the International Energy Agency (IEA Net Zero Roadmap: A Global Pathway to Keep the 1.5°C in Reach: 2023 Update) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Global Warming of 1.5°C, 2018) have reported the need for significant increases in nuclear power by 2050. Concurrently, we have observed a global rise in youth's favorable view of the role of nuclear science and technology in achieving net-zero goals. A survey conducted by YOUNGO, the youth...

Read More........ → August 13, 2024

Paris Olympics: Recent success gives me confidence to aim for gold: Boxer Lovlina Borgohain

New Delhi, (IANS) Bronze medallist at the Tokyo Olympic Games, woman boxer Lovlina Borgohain has expressed "confidence" in winning a gold medal in the upcoming Paris Olympics. Borgohain’s confidence is backed by a series of remarkable performances, including a gold medal at the 2023 World Boxing Championships and a silver medal at the 2022 Asian Games.In a conversation on JioCinema's 'The Dreamers,' she expressed her aspirations to clinch gold at the upcoming edition of the Games. Borgohain’s transition from the Welterweight (69 kg) to the Middleweight (75 kg) category marked a turning point in her career.“I used to consistently win bronze, but since switching to the 75 kg category, I’ve seen remarkable improvement. Despite initial skepticism about weight gain, it has proven beneficial. I’ve won four consecutive gold medals in the National Games, National Championships, World Championships, and Asian Championships. This success gives me the confidence to aim for Olympic gold,” she said.Discussing her preparation for Paris 2024, Borgohain emphasised the importance of meticulous planning...

Read More........ → July 17, 2024

Euro 2024: 'I'll always give my best for this shirt...', says Ronaldo after penalty miss against Slovenia

Frankfurt, (IANS) Portugal pulled through in their Round of 1 matchup vs Slovenia. The game remained goalless after 120 minutes and it was Diogo Costa who proved to be the hero as the goalkeeper saved three penalties in the shootouts.Despite the win, a lot of the focus was on Cristiano Ronaldo as the Euros top goalscorer of all-time failed to convert a penalty in the 105th minute of the game and missed the chance to give his side the victory."This will be my last Euro, of course. But I’m not moved by this, I’m moved by enthusiasm. I was sorry for the fans. I'll always give my best for this shirt, whether I miss it or not. And I'll do this my whole life. You have to take responsibility," said Ronaldo in the post-game conference.Following the penalty miss, Ronaldo was seen crying, breaking the hearts of many football fans around the world. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner later went on to turn his disappointment into a smile as he scored a penalty during the shootouts."I could have given the national team the advantage, but I didn’t manage it, Oblak saved. I didn’t miss once during the...

Read More........ → July 11, 2024

Sonakshi finds it 'a bit more daunting' to be a business woman

Mumbai, (IANS) Actress Sonakshi Sinha, who has also stepped into the world of business with her nail label, said that being an entrepreneur is a bit more daunting as it doesn’t come “naturally to her.”Talking about what’s more daunting, being an actress or being a business person, Sonakshi told IANS: “I think acting comes like second nature to me and it has always been like I have learnt everything on the go but I never felt uncomfortable doing anything. Right now as an entrepreneur, that is something very very new.”“I am again learning the ropes and I am involved as much as I can be. It's something really different for me. I am really loving it. I feel that is a bit more daunting than acting was for me because it doesn’t come naturally.”The actress added that “business is something I have to learn still and I think I am doing pretty well at that.”On the personal front, Sonakshi loves listening to music and shared that her playlist is very “diverse.”“I love to listen to music that sounds good so you can find anything from Hindi film songs to Punjabi music to house music. I love percussion....

Read More........ → June 17, 2024

'Not many players in world as lethal as Ronaldo', opines Sunil Chhetri

New Delhi, June 11 (IANS) The 2024 Euros are just around the corner and just like it has been for the past two decades, the spotlight will fall on Cristiano Ronaldo who has often been hailed as Portugal’s greatest player ever.The 39-year-old has not scored an international goal since November, 2023 and has also been benched a few times for young striker Goncalo Ramos.Ahead of the tournament, India’s all-time top scorer Sunil Chhetri talked about Ronaldo's role and importance in the team in an exclusive conversation with IANS."I hope Ronaldo starts as many games as possible. I would love to see him. I think if there’s one team that can keep him as a number nine and not expect too much defensive work, I don’t mean that he should not or that he does not but I’m saying can expect less is Portugal," Chhetri told IANS."It is a star-studded team they're very good at keeping the ball, more than often they're dominating. They are dominant when it comes to keeping the ball more than often. They have some top players so they can afford to have Ronaldo on the box," he added.Ronaldo is only one...

Read More........ → June 16, 2024

Don't Blame Me: Taylor Swift's influence attracts conspiracy theories

WASHINGTON - A Fox News host suggested this week that Taylor Swift is a "front for a covert political agenda," echoing disinformation that has percolated in right-wing circles for months -- and which experts say will likely get worse before the 2024 US election.The Jesse Watters segment warning Swift could be a "Pentagon asset" offered the latest conspiracy theory exploiting the singer-songwriter's fame and her past support for Democrats such as President Joe Biden.Attacks targeting Swift in recent months have ranged from personal barbs to accusations of witchcraft and speculation about her political involvement."Have you ever wondered why or how she blew up like this? Well, around four years ago, the Pentagon psychological operations unit floated turning Taylor Swift into an asset during a NATO meeting," Watters said Tuesday, resurfacing a clip from a 2019 summit by NATO's cyber defense hub.But the video's only mention of Swift comes during a presentation on how social influence could counter misinformation, when a researcher unaffiliated with NATO cited the singer as an example of...

Read More........ → April 30, 2024

Private sector funding key to climate transition, World Bank chief says

WASHINGTON - The World Bank is working to slash how long it takes to get financing projects off the ground as part of a push to speed up and scale up the 79-year-old development lender, its president told AFP on Wednesday. It currently takes 27 months, on average, before "the first dollar goes out the door," Ajay Banga said in an interview in his brightly lit office in the Bank's headquarters close to the White House."If I can bring it down by one third over the first couple of years, that would be pretty good," he said. "The Bank needs to change and evolve."Banga, an Indian-born, naturalized US citizen who previously ran the payments company Mastercard, took over the management of the bank in June on a pledge to boost its lending firepower by encouraging greater private investment in the fight against climate change.In the seven months since, the 64-year-old has made some big changes, altering the development lender's mission statement to include a reference to climate change, and setting up a private sector advisory body to recommend solutions to address the "barriers to private...

Read More........ → April 02, 2024

Aviation in a ‘purple patch’ amid new plane crunch, AirAsia says

Malaysia-based AirAsia founder Tony Fernandes remains bullish on air travel. MUST CREDIT: Richard Humphries/BloombergThe aviation industry is experiencing a “purple patch” with demand for seats far outstripping capacity amid a long wait for new aircraft and a shortage of pilots further discouraging any fresh competition, Tony Fernandes, the founder of low-cost carrier AirAsia, said. Malaysia-based AirAsia for its part is set to witness its “best ever period” with most of the carrier’s 240 planes back in the sky and “airfares at their best,” Fernandes said during an interview near Kuala Lumpur’s international airport on Monday. “I’ve never been this bullish before,” Fernandes, who started AirAsia 23 years ago, said. “Southeast Asia is going through a renaissance period of sensible economics, and that’s a good thing.” On the back of that, AirAsia plans to raise as much as $600 million in coming months, Fernandes said, as he tries to pull off a merger between his two aviation businesses – long-haul carrier AirAsia X Bhd. and short-haul airline AirAsia, which is currently a unit under Fernandes’...

Read More........ → March 22, 2024

Telecom Italia approves US fund's bid for network

ROME - Telecom Italia on Sunday approved an offer by US investment fund KKR for its fixed-line network, infuriating its main shareholder which vowed to contest the "illegal" decision.The Italian telecommunications operator is seeking to sell its fixed network to pare down a huge debt pile that stands at more than 26 billion euros ($28-billion).TIM said its board had approved the deal, whose value could reach 22 billion euros and which would reduce the debt by "around 14 billion euros".Its main shareholder, French media giant Vivendi, has opposed selling the network and valued it at 31 billion euros, saying KKR's previous bids were far too low.Vivendi said it would "use all legal means at its disposal" to contest TIM's "illegal" decision.It had previously threatened to launch legal action if the KKR offer was approved without being submitted to an extraordinary general assembly of shareholders, where Vivendi would carry considerable weight."The rights of Telecom Italia shareholders are being trampled on," Vivendi added.TIM chief executive Pietro Labriola welcomed the board's "historic...

Read More........ → November 07, 2023

Google’s plan to talk about caste bias led to ‘division and rancor’

FILE PHOTO: A sign is pictured outs a Google office near the company’s headquarters in Mountain View, California, U.S., May 8, 2019. REUTERS/Paresh Dave/File PhotoThe rising Hindu nationalist movement that has spread from India through the diaspora has arrived inside Google, according to employees and an activist on caste bias. In April, Thenmozhi Soundararajan, the founder and executive director of Equality Labs – a nonprofit that advocates for Dalits, or members of the lowest-ranked caste – was scheduled to give a talk to Google News employees for Dalit History Month. But Google employees began spreading disinformation, calling her “Hindu-phobic” and “anti-Hindu” in emails to the company’s leaders, documents posted on Google’s intranet and mailing lists with thousands of employees, according to copies of the documents as well as interviews with Soundararajan and current Google employees who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of concerns about retaliation. Soundararajan appealed directly to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who comes from an upper-caste family in India, to allow her...

Read More........ → July 19, 2023

India, China to hold round 9 of military talks today

Military commanders of India and China will meet today for a ninth time for talks to defuse tension along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh and find a solution to end the standoff. The talks will be held at Moldo, opposite Chushul sector in India.In the last round of talks, the Indian Army strongly insisted on an early disengagement of troops by China from all points of friction in eastern Ladakh.The nearly nine-month-long military standoff has seen tension rise along the LAC. Some 50,000 Indian Army troops are currently deployed in a high state of combat readiness in mountainous locations in eastern Ladakh in sub-zero conditions, as multiple rounds of talks between the two sides have failed to resolve the standoff.China has deployed an equal number of troops, officials said.India will not reduce its troop strength unless China initiates the process, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday in an interview to Times Now. Expressing confidence that a solution to the row could be found through talks, he said India is developing its border infrastructure, some of which China...

Read More........ → January 24, 2021

Forget India, the whole world will stand up and salute you: Shastri in rousing dressing room speech

JAN 20, 2021 BRISBANE: There were smiles, lots of whistles and a round of applause to each other every few seconds as India coach Ravi Shastri got down to commending the "courage, resolve and spirit" of his wounded warriors in a stirring dressing room speech after the conquest at Gabba. It was a little over three-minute speech that Shastri delivered after his injury-ravaged side chased down an imposing 328 in the fourth and final Test to hand Australia their first loss in 32 years at ''Fortress Gabba'' to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in style. "The courage, the resolve, the spirit, that you guys have shown is unreal. Not for once you were down, injuries, 36 all out (in the first Test), you had the self-belief in you," an emotional Shastri said with captain Ajinkya Rahane standing calmly by his side. "It doesn''t come overnight but now that you have this self-belief, you can see where you have taken a game as a team. Today forget India, the whole world will stand up and salute you. "So remember what you guys have done today. You need to enjoy this moment, don''t let it just go away,...

Read More........ → January 20, 2021

'No progress in talks between Dalai Lama's envoys and China'

There was no progress of formal negotiations between the Dalai Lama's envoys and China and the religious freedom continues to deteriorate in Tibet, the 2020 annual report by the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) has said.The report, released this week and based on the events between July 1, 2019 and July 1, 2020, details its recommendations to Congress and the US President based on the human rights conditions and rule of law developments in China.The CECC, which favoured enactment of the Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020 that was passed at the end of December of 2020, highlighted their concerns of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) increasingly repressive tactics, such as intimidation of critics, censorship and interference in foreign governments and citizens.Along with Tibet, freedom of expression in Hong Kong, East Turkestan (Xinjiang), and Taiwan are curtailed because of China's concerted efforts to influence foreign corporations, said the report of the CECC that has been monitoring Beijing's compliance with international human rights standards since 2000.Like...

Read More........ → January 17, 2021