homehome Home chatchat Notifications


German banking giant is using AI to write its earnings reports

Previously, the same technology was used to write quick reports on soccer matches or political events such as elections. 

Tibi Puiu
July 16, 2018 @ 10:30 am

share Share

Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

In light of new regulations that force banks to cut down their research earnings, Commerzbank — which is the second largest bank in Germany — is looking to artificial intelligence to write its earning reports. Previously, the same technology was used to write quick reports on soccer matches or political events such as elections.

The German bank worth $525 billion is working on this project with Retresco, a content automation company in which Commerzbank invested two years ago through its fintech incubator.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Michael Spitz, who is head of Commerzbank’s research and development unit Mainincubator, said that this kind of technology shows great promise because “equity research reports reviewing quarterly earnings are structured in similar ways.” What’s more, these kinds of documents are often prepared under common reporting standards, which are easily read by machine learning algorithms. In other words, there are a lot of routines and robotic mechanics that an AI might handle just as well if not better than a human — it would certainly be faster and more productive, capable of writing reports on the fly, for instance.

According to Spitz, this technology is “already advanced enough to provide around 75% of what a human equity analyst would when writing an immediate report on quarterly earnings.” However, the AI is nowhere near good enough to be able to produce content for clients — this kind of custom writing might take a lot more time and development to supersede. So, if you’re working as a bank analyst, don’t be too worried.

“If it is related to much more abstract cases, we feel that we are not there yet — that we can or maybe will ever replace the quality of a researcher,” Spitz added.

But that’s not to say that an AI can’t handle some of these so-called abstract cases. For instance, an AI developed by Japanese researchers wrote a novel that nearly won a literary award. Here’s an excerpt, from the book called The Day A Computer Writes A Novel.

“I writhed with joy, which I experienced for the first time, and kept writing with excitement.

“The day a computer wrote a novel. The computer, placing priority on the pursuit of its own joy, stopped working for humans.”

Many banks are eager to cut research spending following the implementation of European investor protections known as the Markets In Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II). The regulations that came into effect earlier this year are designed to increase transparency across the European Union’s financial markets and standardize the regulatory disclosures required for particular markets. Some of the MiFID measures include pre- and post-transparency requirements, as well as new standards for financial firms.

As a direct consequence of MiFID, investors are forced to pay for research explicitly instead of bundling its costs into trading commissions. For some firms, their research revenue has fallen by as much as 30 percent as a result. Commerzbank hopes that AI will help offset some of its losses.

share Share

A Former Intelligence Officer Claimed This Photo Showed a Flying Saucer. Then Reddit Users Found It on Google Earth

A viral image sparks debate—and ridicule—in Washington's push for UFO transparency.

This Flying Squirrel Drone Can Brake in Midair and Outsmart Obstacles

An experimental drone with an unexpected design uses silicone wings and AI to master midair maneuvers.

Oldest Firearm in the US, A 500-Year-Old Cannon Unearthed in Arizona, Reveals Native Victory Over Conquistadores

In Arizona’s desert, a 500-year-old cannon sheds light on conquest, resistance, and survival.

No, RFK Jr, the MMR vaccine doesn’t contain ‘aborted fetus debris’

Jesus Christ.

“How Fat Is Kim Jong Un?” Is Now a Cybersecurity Test

North Korean IT operatives are gaming the global job market. This simple question has them beat.

This New Atomic Clock Is So Precise It Won’t Lose a Second for 140 Million Years

The new clock doesn't just keep time — it defines it.

A Soviet shuttle from the Space Race is about to fall uncontrollably from the sky

A ghost from time past is about to return to Earth. But it won't be smooth.

The world’s largest wildlife crossing is under construction in LA, and it’s no less than a miracle

But we need more of these massive wildlife crossings.

Your gold could come from some of the most violent stars in the universe

That gold in your phone could have originated from a magnetar.

Ronan the Sea Lion Can Keep a Beat Better Than You Can — and She Might Just Change What We Know About Music and the Brain

A rescued sea lion is shaking up what scientists thought they knew about rhythm and the brain