Economist Warns AI Could Trigger a Bank Run as Agents Optimise Returns on Cash

AI agents could turn the search for better savings rates into an automated process, potentially changing how banks compete for household deposits (Credit: Enes Ersahin/Pexels)

AI tools could one day move billions of pounds out of low-paying current accounts without a hint of panic in a branch queue, an economist has warned. Instead of fear-fuelled withdrawals, software could quietly sweep household cash towards higher interest rates, transforming how banks fund themselves.

That is the scenario outlined by Torsten Slok, chief economist at Apollo, the alternative-asset manager, in a note published on Sunday, 27 September 2026.