U.S. Bank

From the opportunities — and threats — in artificial intelligence to envisioning a world in which "Wi-Fi is like air," here is what everyone was buzzing about at American Banker's Digital Banking conference.

Banks will need to evolve further and faster to reach consumers in an interconnected, always online world, according to industry leaders.

Most big banks are launching robo-advisers to compete for a new breed of wealth management customer. The risk is that automated services will disappoint traditional customers.

Whether they’re thwarting cyber thieves or building out new apps, bank chiefs say hefty tech investments are now a cost of doing business — but they have to convince shareholders.

The numbers are better but still disappointing for such a healthy economy, lamented executives from large U.S. banks. Some are scratching their heads, some are remaining upbeat about the second half of the year, and others are focusing on Plan B.

While industry officials welcomed a bulletin from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency encouraging banks to develop alternatives to payday loans, they are making no commitments to offer such products.

Longtime executives Bill Parker and Jennie Carlson plan to retire from the Minneapolis company, giving CEO Andy Cecere an opportunity to reshape his executive team.

Borrowers can get better rates elsewhere, so they're repaying ahead of schedule, leaving banks in the lurch. The steps lenders would have to take to keep the business could be prohibitively expensive.

The most satisfied customers are those who frequently use online or mobile banking, but still visit branches two or three times a month, J.D. Power said in its annual Retail Banking Satisfaction Study.

U.S. Bank has formed a partnership with insurance claims software provider Enservio to simplify processes for paying or collecting insurance settlements.