Twin, a Paris-based French startup, recently launched its first AI agent, specifically designed to fetch invoices for Qonto users. The new innovation marks a significant step towards automating monotonous work through artificial intelligence and computer usage patterns. Twin emerged from stealth in January 2024, when AI agents were largely hypothetical. Now, it is working with Qonto, a fintech company providing business bank accounts to over 500,000 customers across Europe.
The AI product, Invoice Operator, addresses a mundane challenge that users of Qonto face daily: manually uploading and scanning invoices. Qonto processes millions of invoices monthly, but every customer spends dozens of hours monthly on invoice uploads. Twin’s solution is to automate the process of doing this by retrieving missing invoice transactions, invoking the relevant services to get invoices, and matching them back to transactions on the Qonto account.
To achieve this, Twin utilizes OpenAI’s CUA (Computer-Using Agent) model, which allows the AI to talk to web services directly. This has a number of advantages over more traditional automation methods like RPA (Robotic Process Automation) or API-based tools. For instance, RPA would require separate scripts for each website, rendering it impossible when there are thousands of services. Similarly, API-based automation tools like Zapier took years to support a fraction of the applications that Twin supports.
Twin’s system includes a server running a Chromium browser-based web browser, which enables the AI agent to interact and navigate in a way similar to a human. This makes it easy for users, especially non-technical users, to automate without ever having to configure anything. Users simply log in to their accounts, initiate the agent, and the rest is taken care of.
Aside from invoice retrieval, Twin also sees potential for AI agents in various sectors. To cite a few, agents can take care of orders for web shopping malls, sort marketplace catalogs, or retrieve details for call center agents. The hope is to make AI agents more affordable, faster, and precise for a wide range of applications.
Qonto’s available integrations also highlight the importance of automating invoice capture. Features like “Get My Invoices” allow users to connect to thousands of supplier portals, bringing invoices directly into their Qonto accounts. This simplifies bookkeeping and accounts payable operations, saving time and effort.
Overall, Twin’s AI agent represents a huge advance in automation technology, delivering a more efficient and simpler-to-use solution for invoice processing and potentially other business processes. With time, such agents may become the norm in numerous industries as technology continues to improve.
