Capital One has welcomed a new addition to its team in the form of Prem Natarajan, who will serve as the company’s chief scientist and head of enterprise AI. Natarajan’s background includes five years as a VP at Amazon, where he led the Alexa AI organization. He was drawn to Capital One due to its reputation as a technology-focused bank and wanted to explore how the organization could implement generative AI and large language models (LLMs) in a responsible and thoughtful manner.
Capital One has positioned itself as a pioneer in technology investment, being one of the first major companies to fully embrace cloud computing. Natarajan believes that organizations already committed to technology transformation will be at the forefront of the generative AI opportunity that lies ahead. Those who are late to the game may struggle to harness the technology to its full potential.
Natarajan’s career initially focused on research, working for Raytheon BBN and the University of Southern California. However, he began to notice a shift from academia to industry, particularly in the field of AI. Intrigued by this shift, he decided to gain industry experience and joined Amazon. After spending time in various verticals, Natarajan found himself captivated by the intersection of technology and finance, ultimately leading him to Capital One.
He saw Capital One as a technology company disguised as a bank, with a large and highly skilled technology workforce. However, being a bank, the organization also has strict regulatory and compliance requirements. This combination of technology and risk/compliance necessitates a new operating model that scales effectively. Capital One’s commitment to technology is evident in its multi-year journey to re-architect its data environment and embrace machine learning and AI.
While Capital One is highly technologically advanced, Natarajan emphasizes the importance of operating in a responsible and thoughtful manner. This includes considering diverse perspectives and challenging assumptions throughout the design, implementation, and ongoing refinement of AI applications. Capital One aims to build applications that serve as many people as possible, ensuring equal performance and implementing necessary safeguards.
Natarajan acknowledges that even Capital One is in the learning and experimenting phase with generative AI and LLMs. The focus is currently on customer service and improving the employee and customer experience. Natarajan’s top priority is to build a world-class AI organization within Capital One, attracting top talent and accelerating the delivery of new, differentiated experiences for its 100 million-plus customers.
Overall, Natarajan’s appointment at Capital One reflects the organization’s commitment to technology and its desire to leverage generative AI and LLMs in a responsible and thoughtful way. The bank’s emphasis on a robust operating model and diverse perspectives sets it apart and ensures that technology and innovation align with customer needs.
