Royal Bank of Canada (RB) has barred third-party AI agents from interfacing directly with its authenticated digital properties, including its online banking environment.
To execute automated tasks on a user's behalf, personal AI agents require entry to private online profiles and frequently retain login credentials to maintain connectivity.
The bank said: "But as these systems become more autonomous, the stakes go up when something goes wrong—from fraud and consumer harm to risks that could ripple more broadly through the financial system."
The policy change was initially reported by Bloomberg ahead of formal confirmation from the institution.
A staff memo co-authored by Naim Kazmi, group head of technology and operations, and Erica Nielsen, group head of personal banking, stated that the technical restrictions followed a "full security review of the technology and its functionality" in alignment with the organisation's framework for responsible AI application.
RBC cited "unacceptable customer risk" as the basis for terminating these integrations, warning.
Reaffirming its approach, the lender noted: "At RBC, your security and privacy come first. Trust is core to our relationship with our clients – nothing is more important than the security of client information,"
The decision mirrors an accelerating trend among major financial institutions moving to neutralise external automated utilities.
Citigroup and Bank of America have similarly moved to restrict AI agent entry into retail client profiles, following comparable access restrictions enacted by Charles Schwab and JPMorgan Chase.
Charles Schwab chief executive Rick Wurster told Bloomberg that the brokerage and banking firm is blocking unsanctioned automated programmes, such as Meta Platforms' Muse, from carrying out transactions on behalf of account holders.
"Royal Bank of Canada restricts third-party AI agents from banking channels" was originally created and published by Retail Banker International , a GlobalData owned brand.
