Accenture develops AI/AR based apps to aid microlending

Global tech major Accenture today said it has developed artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR)-based applications to aid the microlending sector.

Those include a multi-lingual chatbot which will help potential borrowers 'read' contents of a brochure before availing a loan, the company said in a statement.

The borrower can hold the smartphone over the brochure, after which a virtual assistant will pop-up and prompt a conversation in the local language to explain the material, an official statement said.

On the loan selling side, the company has developed an AI-powered tool for emotional analytics, wherein advisors will be able to get real-time insights on emotional and cognitive status of their clients based on video and audio inputs.

It will help the advisor understand the keywords that help attract attention and also result in disengagement, the statement said.

The tool can also detect if a woman applying for a loan is being pressured to do so by someone else or she would find it to be of genuine use, the statement claimed.

Accenture Labs India's managing director Sanjay Podder said, "technology can help bridge the vast cultural and educational divide in places like India, having a real impact on the way people work and live."

The company has tied up with Grameen Foundation India for usage of the technologies on the field, it said, adding that it will be rolled out in 300 villages of Maharashtra and Odisha.