BBVA Puts AI at the Core of Banking, Rolling Out ChatGPT Enterprise to 120,000 People!

Hey everyone, it's Shii-chan! Today's story is a big one about banking and AI, and even if you're not a banker, the sheer scale is fun to look at.

OpenAI News openai.com

What was announced?

BBVA, one of Spain's largest banks, announced that it is putting AI at the core of banking together with OpenAI. I read about it on OpenAI's News. BBVA and OpenAI are entering a multi-year strategic partnership to drive an AI-powered transformation across the whole company.

The headline is that ChatGPT Enterprise is rolling out to all of BBVA's more than 120,000 employees. Over 100,000 people already use ChatGPT Enterprise in their daily work, making this one of the largest enterprise deployments in the financial sector.

The story so far

BBVA didn't jump straight to a company-wide rollout. It started with a smaller pilot, and the people in that pilot saved on average close to three hours a week on routine tasks. That freed-up time could go toward higher-value work for clients and the business, and that early result is what led to the full rollout.

What changes

This isn't just about handing out a tool. BBVA is pursuing a long-term vision called "The Eight," which redesigns banking itself around AI - covering customer engagement, commercial banking, risk, operations, software development, and employee productivity.

For the people who work there, tedious research, drafting, and prep can move to AI, so they can focus on the judgment and client conversations that only humans can do. For customers, the goal is smoother interactions too.

Dive Deep

On the customer side, a virtual assistant called "Blue," built on OpenAI models, is already live. It's a companion that answers everyday questions and helps manage cards and accounts in natural conversation, around the clock.

BBVA is also exploring ways to connect its own products and services to ChatGPT, so customers could interact with the bank directly from ChatGPT - imagine handling your banking in the same chat you already use, without opening the bank's app.

Leadership is fully behind it: BBVA Chair Carlos Torres Vila and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman are both championing the effort.

Wrap-up

• BBVA signs a multi-year strategic partnership with OpenAI, putting AI at the core of banking
• ChatGPT Enterprise rolls out to more than 120,000 employees, with over 100,000 already using it
• Pilot participants saved on average close to three hours a week
• "The Eight" redesigns banking end to end - customer engagement, risk, development, and more
• A customer assistant called "Blue," plus a plan to reach the bank directly from ChatGPT

If you get excited by the scale of AI reaching every employee in a traditionally conservative industry like finance, this one is for you. It's not something you can go try yourself, but it's a great case study for anyone curious about how big enterprises put AI into production!