Reflecting on the future of the banking industry as we approach our flagship event in Brussels on May 28, I couldn't help but turn to a few friendly AI's to structure my thoughts in a more creative way. While the format is a bit of fun, the messages ring true.

Banking Poetry: An Ode to The Future of The Industry

The banker woke before the dawn,
his trusted mainframe humming on.
He checked his mails, reviewed the news,
another fintech changed the rules.

A startup somewhere raised a round,
while “AI agents” buzzed around.
The board now asked with subtle dread:
“Can ChatGPT replace Fred?”

The payments team discussed the rail,
while fraudsters launched another scam by mail.
Compliance sighed, “We need more staff.”
The CFO just tried to laugh.

The customers no longer wait,
they want their banking feeling great.
Not “digital-first,” not “mobile-new,”
but frictionless and human too.

And somewhere deep in Brussels town,
where old brick warehouses look down,
a gathering starts to take its place,
for bankers trying to win the race.

Not just for growth.
Not just for fame.
But searching what relevance might mean again.

Welcome to The Banking Scene,
where banking’s future can be seen.
Where CEOs and thinkers meet,
while running late on little sleep.

Where one debate says branches matter,
while others claim they’re old-world chatter.
Where bunq talks boldly of what’s next,
and legacy banks look mildly vexed.

Where payments people fight for Europe’s rails,
through instant flows and token trails.
Where Wero, CBDCs, stablecoins too,
all promise “something bold and new.”

Where AI whispers soft and sly:
“Dear banker… let me also try.”
To manage risk.
To guide the trade.
To optimise the loans you made.

And somewhere in another hall,
the fraud teams warn us one and all:
the scams are smarter every day,
with deepfake voices leading astray.

A behavioural scientist takes the stage,
to calmly tell the AI age:
that humans still are strange at heart,
and trust itself remains an art.

A philosopher speaks about ethics and soul,
while someone from treasury clutches control.
The regulators quietly nod,
like ancient priests interpreting God.

And all throughout the crowded floor,
between the panels, by the door,
the real magic starts to bloom:

“Wait… you struggle with that too?”

Because every bank, both large and small,
is facing now the selfsame call:

If banking’s everywhere, all the time,
then how do you remain sublime?

If AI writes the client mail,
and payments move like silent hail,
if products fade and apps all blend,
what truly keeps the customer friend?

That is the question.
That is the fight.
That keeps this industry awake at night.

So come to Brussels. Join the scene.
Debate what relevance might truly mean.
Bring all your doubts, your hopes, your fear,
your transformation roadmap for next year.

There will be coffee.
There will be stress.
There will be panels with too much “yes.”
Someone will mention ecosystems twice.
Someone from strategy will say “embedded” — nice.

But there will also be something rare:
an industry breathing open air.
Thinking aloud.
Challenging fate.
Before the future arrives too late.

The Banking Scene.
May twenty-eight.
Where banking comes to contemplate.

We decided to take the concept a little further, by turning the poem into a song, which meant that we had to make a music video too ........ let us know what you think about our creation, but above all - JOIN US on May 28 - get your tickets here if you haven't already!