Artificial intelligence is reshaping industries, streamlining operations, and unlocking new opportunities. At Target, we’re advising our lender, third-party servicer, and broker clients on the transformative potential of AI as part of our tech advisory services and digital transformation projects.
But we’re not just talking the talk; we’re walking the walk, too. As part of a broad modernisation and evolution project—which, among other things, has seen Target begin offering origination as well as closed-book services—we’ve been developing cutting-edge technology, including AI, which we’re rolling out across Target and are set to bring into the mortgage and loan origination space.
Clearly, there are a myriad ways to utilise the powerhouse that is AI. Our first tangible step is the introduction of various virtual assistants, and an HR chatbot, designed for Target employees, is our pilot. It handles routine HR inquiries, provides instant responses, and lightens the load on our HR team. It can answer common questions about our HR policies—like overtime, sickness, or carer’s leave—in seconds, 24/7.
We’ve got masses of information on our systems, but it’s often hard for employees to access it. The chatbot provides that information quickly, whether someone’s at their desk, on their phone (via a Teams app), even at home. Early feedback has been promising: response times are down, employee satisfaction is up, and we’re already identifying ways to refine the system by extending its remit to be a wider colleague assistant capability that can support a broader range of queries and questions.
We’ve got eight virtual assistant projects underway already, with four or five more requests from the rest of the best in my inbox. We are looking at virtual assistants for commercial contracts, L&D, and financial crime, amongst others.
This isn’t about replacing people—it’s about empowering them. The chatbot is handling the mundane stuff so our HR experts can spend time on more value-add services . A bot never gives 100 per cent of the solution —maybe 90 to 95 per cent — leaving the human element to sprinkle the magic on top, getting us to understanding faster. It’s a microcosm of what we’ve long advised our clients: AI isn’t a silver bullet. But when it’s deployed thoughtfully, it’s a force multiplier.
Training these bots has presented a number of challenges. Take “sickness” as an example —our HR bot didn’t recognise it because all our HR documents used the word “absence.” We had to help it link the two; the trick is giving it clear guiderails. We’ve had to rein it in on occasion —like when negative testing asked, “How many stars are in the sky?” and it returned an astronomical treatise. We don’t need that. It’s about focus, ensuring it sticks to Target’s business and delivers value.
So why start with chatbots? They’re practical, easy to deploy, scalable, and offer immediate benefits — a perfect proof-of-concept. Don’t start by trying to boil the ocean… Our HR chatbot represents a toe in the water, with our leg and torso to follow, as we gain more experience. The goal? To grasp how we can use AI day-to-day, pinpointing where it delivers real value. We’re not building bots for bot’s sake — we’re not batty about bots — we’re starting a process that informs what we need and what outcomes we want. These bots, though predominantly for Target, will support client outcomes too—they’re not just for us.
We know the theory. AI can automate repetitive tasks, freeing up human talent for creative and strategic work, saving time and cutting costs. AI can provide data-driven insights humans might miss, enabling smarter decisions. And, it can personalise experiences, from tailored marketing to real-time customer responses. Our chatbot initiative mirrors the broader advantages AI offers businesses—advantages we’re helping our clients achieve.
Beyond virtual assistants, we’re exploring automation such as voice analytics and transcription AI with Fournet. In financial services, every call is recorded, and manually adding notes is slow. Our AI listens, transcribes, summarises, and flags vulnerable customers using tone, keywords, or sentiment. It’s not a stenographer—it’s a telephone wingman, suggesting probing questions to ensure we treat customers fairly.
From there we’ll move on to using Generative AI to produce white papers, customer comms, personal development, leadership assessments, and automated testing. This is only the start.
Our hands-on approach sets us apart from consultancies peddling lofty theories without getting dirty. We’ve felt the growing pains of integration first-hand, wrestled with training data, and celebrated a well-timed chatbot reply—experience that informs our advice to clients deploying AI or predictive analytics. While embracing AI is essential to business growth, its success hinges on execution, not just enthusiasm.
At Target, proving AI isn’t about flashy promises; it’s about practical solutions that work today and scale tomorrow and we’re doing that one chatbot at a time. As we expand our AI footprint, we’ll keep sharing our journey—warts and all—because that’s how we build trust, deliver value, and stay true to our mission. In a world of “all hat, no cattle” consultancies, we’re proud to be the real deal—boots on the ground, AI in hand, score on the board.
Julian Matthews is head of architecture, data and solutions at Target Group
