BBVA has announced a multi-year strategic AI transformation programme which will see OpenAI’s ChatGPT Enterprise rolled out to all 120,000 of its global employees.

The move builds on an existing partnership with the genAI start-up, with the expansion leading to a 10x increase on current deployment of the chatbot.

As part of the rollout the Spanish bank, which currently operates across 25 markets, will develop new AI tools designed to "transform customer interactions", equip bankers to better support clients, streamline and enhance risk analysis, and redesign internal processes such as software development and employee productivity support.

The launch comes after BBVA became the first European bank to forge a partnership with OpenAI in May 2024, when it deployed 3,300 ChatGPT accounts to employees.

This was later expanded to 11,000 employees, creating thousands of custom GPTs for collaboration and work, with the bank's staff saving nearly three hours per week on routine tasks and more than 80 per cent engaging daily.

BBVA described the rollout as one of the "largest" enterprise deployments of genAI in the financial services industry.

In the summer, BBVA also extended its partnership with Google Cloud to roll out Google Workspace with Gemini across the global operations of the bank.

As part of the move, around 100,000 employees were given access to genAI experiences in applications such as Gmail and Google Docs.

Speaking about the bank's AI transformation programme with OpenAI, Carlos Torres Vila, chairman, BBVA, said: “We were pioneers in the digital and mobile transformation, and we are now entering the AI era with even greater ambition. Our alliance with OpenAI accelerates the native integration of artificial intelligence across the bank to create a smarter, more proactive, and completely personalised banking experience, anticipating the needs of every client."

The initiative will also include security and privacy controls, as well as access to OpenAI's latest models and tools for creating internal agents connected to BBVA systems.

As part of the extended partnership, the two organisations plan to work together on specialised training programmes and a structured adoption model.

Beyond employee productivity, the bank is using AI to improve banking for its customers, including the launch of its virtual assistant Blue, built on OpenAI models.

BBVA said it will have a dedicated team working with OpenAI's product, research, and technology success teams to accelerate the bank’s shift toward becoming an "AI-native institution."

It is also exploring ways to integrate its products and services so customers can interact with the bank directly through ChatGPT.

"BBVA is a strong example of how a large financial institution can adopt AI with real ambition and speed," said Sam Altman, chief executive, OpenAI. "With this expansion of our work together, BBVA will embed our AI into the core of their products and operations to enhance the overall banking experience for their customers."

The move comes after the bank has rolled out numerous genAI schemes and technologies designed for both back-office and customer-facing applications in the past 18 months.

In August, BBVA and the University of Navarra partnered to conduct a three-year applied research project into responsible AI.

Titled Fair Learning, the project aims to investigate the main ethical, technical, and regulatory challenges posed by the growing automation of decisions that impact society.

The move followed an existing partnership with the University to launch a genAI training programme for over 150 managers in November 2024.

In May, BBVA overhauled its banking app for customers in Spain, using AI to offer savings incentives, financial education and personalisation.

The Spanish bank said at the time that the revamp would enable customers to organise the app in different ways according to their habits, with the level of personalisation so advanced that they can use Apple Intelligence tech to create a personalised design for their cards in the digital environment of the BBVA app.

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