CaixaBank has created a new AI and Data Division to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence and strategic data management across the banking group, as it seeks to improve efficiency and develop new services for customers and employees.

The new division will coordinate CaixaBank’s existing data and AI capabilities across the organisation, connecting business and technology teams to identify opportunities and accelerate implementation. The bank said the unit will focus on developing AI solutions in a scalable, secure and responsible way.

CaixaBank has appointed Juan Arandilla to lead the new AI and Data Division, reporting to the Media Area headed by Luis Javier Blas. Arandilla has experience in technological transformation, enterprise architecture and data management within the financial sector.

The bank said the new structure will establish a unified approach to AI strategy, data governance and the industrialisation of technology solutions. It will oversee initiatives from the identification of opportunities through development, deployment and monitoring, with regulatory compliance and risk management incorporated across the lifecycle.

CaixaBank said the division will seek to improve customer services through more personalised and responsive experiences, including the use of AI to anticipate customer needs, optimise recommendations and simplify processes. The bank said these applications will operate according to principles of transparency, trust and human supervision.

The division will focus on internal use cases as well as customer-facing applications, with plans to deploy tools that improve access to organisational knowledge and automate administrative work. CaixaBank said broader access to advanced analytics would allow employees to spend more time on higher-value activities and customer service.

The new division currently comprises more than 40 professionals working across data governance, advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, engineering and transformation. CaixaBank said bringing these capabilities under a common framework would help streamline decision-making, prioritise investment and extend expertise across the wider organisation.

The move comes as CaixaBank considers a potential acquisition of BNP Paribas' Cetelem consumer lending business in Spain and Portugal, according to Reuters. The lender has hired Morgan Stanley to assess a possible deal, which Expansion reported could be valued at between €900 million and €1 billion, although CaixaBank, BNP Paribas and Cetelem declined to comment.

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