On Wednesday, at the Toronto Global Forum, BMO’s chief executive, Darryl White, said: do not give AI agents your banking username and password, your card, your social insurance number, your PIN. “These are not protected.” A warning. Not a BMO ban already in force. Dump CBC.

White: 25 years of e-commerce have made people willing to enter personal data anywhere, into any agent. Artificial intelligence is moving faster than the rules. There is still educating to do. The CBC: Canada’s fourth-largest bank by assets. BMO’s 19 October advisory confirmed Wednesday’s 21 October fireside at the forum, with Brian Tobin. Attendance, not a ban.

On Tuesday, RBC’s Dave McKay told Bloomberg he is thinking about blocking Muse, Meta’s assistant. “It’s something I’m thinking about.” That is not a decision. It is not a ban. Last week the chiefs of JPMorgan Chase and Charles Schwab said they are blocking or limiting outside agents. Three banks, three gestures. Do not mix them with BMO.

With a client’s authorisation, agents such as Muse and ChatGPT can read balances and transaction histories. Purchases typically still need a person. That is the CBC’s description. It is not BMO’s policy. In August White spoke of insurance underwriting in 10 seconds, against 28 days. That is in-house AI. It is not the outside agent. It is not Wednesday’s warning.

RoAdevăr has already written about Citi and Bank of America, on 16 October: the account door shut to third-party agents. That is another file. White did not announce the same lock at BMO. He said: do not hand over the data.

Dump CBC. The rewrite rests on the CBC and BMO’s Toronto Global Forum advisory.

Image: a Bank of Montreal branch in First Canadian Place, Toronto, December 2021, Canmenwalker, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. The branch, not the Toronto Global Forum stage.

Sources consulted: Media Advisory — BMO CEO Darryl White and BMO leaders participate in Toronto Global Forum — BMO.