Bank of Scotland has begun piloting artificial intelligence through a virtual assistant for customers.

Customers will be able to have a messaging conversation in real time with a virtual assistant trained to answer common queries from unknown transactions to how to make payments and what to do about lost or stolen cards.

And unlike with human customer assistants, customers will be able to pause and continue their query at any time, without having to start the conversation again. If the virtual assistant can't help, they will be given the option to transfer to a human customer services adviser at any time.

Nick Williams, managing director of consumer digital, Bank of Scotland, said: "We are experimenting with how we use artificial intelligence technology to help our customers find the information they want in the simplest and most convenient way possible. This is an exciting step for us and we're keen to see how our customers like the service."

The pilot is currently available to 50,000 Bank of Scotland mobile customers who use its iPhone app.