Who needs the human touch?

A branch of China Construction Bank in Shanghai thinks nobody does. Robot assistants are just one part of their so-called person-less strategy.

The bank also has virtual reality rooms for customers looking to buy real estate or gold. Touch screen displays let customers pay bills, membership fees and much more.

Customers have so far been positive about the innovative new branch.

“These days because people are less and less likely to be inclined to want other people to come and bother them, because they want to be left alone," said one customer. "We hope when we come to a bank that we have human machine interaction – this type of experience.”

But people are also worried that this sort of automation will leave some customers behind.

“Some people in their 60s or older whom I talk to, now their view was that this technology was great but when it comes to actually using them, they’re not convenient. Because they haven’t used these kinds of equipment before, they have to have people to help them. How on earth to use this? What does it do?”, said a concerned citizen.

Others are skeptical that investing in more technology doesn’t necessarily add value. Much of banking already has a high level of automation, and whether increased surveillance from a state bank is something customers really need, is questionable too.

Still, a bank free of human interaction is a novelty for customers. They’re lining up to see the potential face of future services.

This content has been published in partnership with Deutsche Welle (DW).