2020年CRI Robot concierge unveiled in Shanghai bank

 

A state-owned Chinese bank has opened an automated¹ branch offering services with robots and virtual reality machine.

The branch in Shanghai is being hyped as the first "personless bank" in China, with facial recognition software, a virtual reality room, a hologram machine and robots that can talk.

Beijing-based China Construction Bank says its new high-tech³ branch in Shanghai is meant to make banking⁴ more convenient, personalized, and efficient.

The new branch is drawing throngs⁵ of curious observers.

"I saw the bank on WeChat (a smartphone app), and we just happened to be in Shanghai, so I dropped by to take a look. It seems like it's very convenient and capable, and this robot's language and technological⁶ abilities are really good, much better than I had imagined,"a visitor said.

"These days, because people are less and less likely to be inclined to want other people to come and bother them, or because they want to be left alone, we hope when we come to a bank that we have human-machine interaction, this kind of experience,"another visitor noted⁷.

A robot greets customers at the entrance and answers questions using voice recognition software.

Clients can swipe their national identification cards to enter the bank - or scan their faces using the bank's facial recognition device.

Machines inside allow visitors to buy gold, change currency, or scout⁸ real estate investments using virtual reality goggles⁹.

The bank isn't totally unstaffed.

Guards are still present, and a room equipped with teleconference software allows VIP clients to request help from human employees based elsewhere.

Li Linfeng is a banking technologist from Shenzhen-based Ping An Insurance.

He says the bank's use of technology is not particularly thoughtful.

He says older folks will likely need human help.

"Technology has to serve us, not leave people behind. Some people who are older, in their 60s or older, who I made contact with - now, their view was that these technologies look great, but when it comes to actually using them, it's not convenient, because they haven't used these kinds of equipment before. So, they have to have people help them."

State-owned China Construction Bank, founded in the 1950s to fund large scale infrastructure¹⁰ projects, is the second largest bank worldwide as measured by assets.

Analysts¹¹ say the bank is responding to pressure from internet giants like Alibaba and Tencent, which are transforming Chinese consumer finance with mobile applications that enable people to transfer money and pay for goods using their smartphones.

You Tianyu is vice² president of research at iYiou, a technology think tank.

"These days, everyone is talking about banking or financial innovation. This is kind of an experiment, a shot in the dark, trying to prove that traditional banks, too, can innovate¹².Traditional banks rely on their clerks to verify and prove identities, and rely on them to use their own vision to check and verify identities. This, of course, comes with risks. But when you use facial recognition software, the error rate is extremely low."

The trend toward automation is not new.

Retailers¹³ in China and elsewhere have been tinkering with automated supermarkets and convenience stores.

1 automated   

a.自动化的

参考例句：

• The entire manufacturing process has been automated. 整个生产过程已自动化。
• Automated Highway System (AHS) is recently regarded as one subsystem of Intelligent Transport System (ITS). 近年来自动公路系统(Automated Highway System,AHS)，作为智能运输系统的子系统之一越来越受到重视。

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 high-tech   

adj.高科技的

参考例句：

• The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展，这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
• The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。

4 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

5 throngs   

n.人群( throng的名词复数 )v.成群，挤满( throng的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She muscled through the throngs of people, frantically searching for David. 她使劲挤过人群，拼命寻找戴维。 来自辞典例句
• Our friends threaded their way slowly through the throngs upon the Bridge. 我们这两位朋友在桥上从人群中穿过，慢慢地往前走。 来自辞典例句

6 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 scout   

n.童子军，侦察员；v.侦察，搜索

参考例句：

• He was mistaken for an enemy scout and badly wounded.他被误认为是敌人的侦察兵，受了重伤。
• The scout made a stealthy approach to the enemy position.侦察兵偷偷地靠近敌军阵地。

9 goggles   

n.护目镜

参考例句：

• Skiers wear goggles to protect their eyes from the sun.滑雪者都戴上护目镜使眼睛不受阳光伤害。
• My swimming goggles keep steaming up so I can't see.我的护目镜一直有水雾，所以我看不见。

10 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

11 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

12 innovate   

v.革新，变革，创始

参考例句：

• We must innovate in order to make progress.我们必须改革以便取得进步。
• It is necessary to innovate and develop military theories.创新和发展军事理论是必要的。

13 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。