San Juan, May 28 (EFE).- The banking industry is responding positively at the international level to the challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI), including protecting “the financial sector as a whole” from fraud, according to Camille Burckhart, Vice President of Innovation, Technology and Operations at Banco Popular de Puerto Rico.
“The cybersecurity effort takes place across all banks in the United States, but also across the industry as a whole, and that includes service providers, from data centers to the companies that provide technology to us,” Burckhart told EFE.
The Banco Popular executive, whose institution is the largest bank in Puerto Rico, participated this month in the forum “AI Revolution: An Opportunity for Businesses in Puerto Rico,” organized in San Juan by GFR Media and Agencia EFE.
In her view, collaboration across the international banking industry in this area is “something very positive,” because if AI falls “into the wrong hands,” the financial sector must protect itself collectively “and not just each institution individually.”
Burckhart said this cooperation is likely to increase and will translate into broader protection against banking fraud, not only for institutions with greater resources to defend themselves.
Better AI models to detect fraud
The goal, she continued, is to develop “better models to detect fraud more effectively,” whether in an online transaction or an in-person purchase.
During the forum, Burckhart also discussed the application of intelligent automation in the financial sector and how AI supports her organization’s daily operations.
Banco Popular uses a digital agent that suggests meeting strategies, monitors employee performance, and provides call center staff with “more accurate information” when responding to customers, among other functions, she explained.
“When I started at the bank 25 years ago, we were just beginning the digital transformation journey, and experts said branches would disappear forever. Today, I think we all know that human interaction remains extremely important,” said the Vice President of Innovation, Technology and Operations.
In this regard, Burckhart acknowledged that the human role has evolved. Instead of processing payments or making deposits, employees now focus more on advisory services and helping customers, which is why, in her opinion, “the human value” must not be overlooked.
This was the third international forum organized by GFR Media and Agencia EFE in San Juan. The partnership began in 2025 with the forums “Educational Tourism: Puerto Rico as an Academic Destination” and “Puerto Rico as a Global Hub for Music and Entertainment.” EFE