Fintech Leader Dismisses AI Hype, Says Customers Only Care About Solutions

Customer-Centric Approach Over AI Marketing

In an industry increasingly obsessed with artificial intelligence branding, Nubank CEO Livia Chanes is taking a contrarian stance that appears to be driving remarkable growth. According to reports from the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit, Chanes declared that customers “don’t care if it’s AI-enabled or not” and instead “just want to have the best experience possible.”

Customer-Centric Approach Over AI Marketing
Strategic AI Implementation Behind the Scenes
Latin American Banking Transformation
Dominance in Brazil’s Payment Ecosystem
Potential U.S. Expansion
Leadership Philosophy Against Technological Complexity

This philosophy comes as many financial institutions are rebranding products as “AI-powered” to meet investor expectations. Sources indicate that Nubank’s differentiation lies in its focus on eliminating friction rather than participating in hype cycles, with the digital bank now serving over 120 million customers across Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia., according to technology trends

Strategic AI Implementation Behind the Scenes

Despite downplaying AI as a marketing tool, the company reportedly invests heavily in artificial intelligence throughout its operations. According to the analysis, Nubank utilizes AI to strengthen credit underwriting, detect and prevent fraud, automate customer service, improve collections, and enhance marketing and product analysis.

“AI is an additional tool… not a customer value proposition,” Chanes stated during her interview. The report suggests that more than 90% of customer inquiries are handled digitally, with AI implementations designed specifically to remove delays and improve precision without being positioned as selling points.

Latin American Banking Transformation

Nubank’s approach appears particularly effective in Latin America, where cash has historically dominated and banking access has lagged. Analysts suggest the company has used technology to modernize financial services at scale, including integrating real-time payments through WhatsApp, the region’s most widely used messaging platform.

Brazilian customers can now initiate payments using voice commands without opening a banking app—an experience that blends AI and financial infrastructure seamlessly. “Voice banking is something that we are experimenting with,” Chanes confirmed, noting they’re “launching real-time payments through WhatsApp.”, according to market trends

Dominance in Brazil’s Payment Ecosystem

The company has become a major player in Brazil’s payment transformation, with the country’s instant payments system, Pix, now moving more money than credit and debit cards combined. Reports indicate that one in every four Pix transactions in Brazil runs through Nubank, demonstrating the company’s significant market penetration.

This success has contributed to Nubank’s estimated $50 billion market valuation, which reportedly exceeds many U.S. regional banks despite the company’s primary focus on Latin American markets.

Potential U.S. Expansion

Nubank’s concentration in Latin America may soon change, according to recent developments. The company has reportedly filed for a U.S. national bank charter, signaling long-term plans to enter the American market.

“We don’t have a specific date for any launches in the U.S. at this point in time,” Chanes stated, “but the license is a first step… we’re buying the optionality.” This move could position Nubank to test its customer-centric philosophy in the highly competitive U.S. fintech landscape.

Leadership Philosophy Against Technological Complexity

For Chanes, maintaining connection with consumer needs remains paramount as the company scales. “It’s very easy to connect with the numbers and disconnect with the people,” she observed, noting this risk increases with growth unless leadership stays close to real customer pain points.

During her tenure as Brazil country manager, the company added 24 million customers and launched more than 50 products, expansion that reportedly reinforced Nubank’s operating philosophy that technology should remove complexity rather than add it. In an AI-fueled business cycle where technology is often treated as a story rather than a tool, the CEO remains clear about her company’s direction: “People just want to get their problem solved. It’s less important to them how.”