The news: Nubank is exploring whether allowing third-party AI agents to interact with customers' accounts could help set it apart from traditional banks as it expands into the US.

Nubank co-founder Cristina Junqueira told Business Insider the neobank is “closely looking into it” and acknowledged that the technology is becoming unavoidable for the banking industry. 

But Junqueira said unresolved questions about regulation and fraud liability make it unclear how to proceed.

Why it matters: Nubank joins major US banks navigating how to accommodate AI agents while protecting customers from unauthorized transactions and security risks. Their approaches range from developing proprietary AI assistants to restricting outside agents and exploring partnerships that could enable secure access.

Restricting third-party agents can reduce fraud and security risks, particularly when banks can’t reliably determine whether an agent is acting with a customer's permission. Nubank could find an opening if competitors’ restrictions make it harder for consumers to use their preferred AI assistants to manage their finances.

But consumers aren’t there yet: 77% of consumers are concerned about giving AI agents permission to move their money, while just 27% say they're likely to use autonomous AI to manage cash balances in the next 12 months, per a Morning Consult survey. 

Implications for banks: As consumer demand, regulations, and bank policies surrounding AI agents evolve, financial institutions can still get ahead by educating customers about the risks and protections associated with these tools.

That includes educating customers about what protections apply to unauthorized transactions, and how sharing banking credentials with third-party AI agents could affect their ability to recover lost funds. Banks should also provide clear guidance on how customers can protect their accounts, including which information they should never share and how to authorize third-party access safely.

Helping customers navigate these uncertainties can reinforce banks' roles as trusted financial advisers, even as AI agents take on more financial tasks.

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