BBVA and OpenAI collaborate to transform global banking BBVA en OpenAI werken samen aan transformatie van wereldwijd bankieren

BBVA and OpenAI are expanding their collaboration with a multi-year strategic AI transformation program that will see ChatGPT Enterprise rolled out to all 120,000 global employees—a 10x increase on their current deployment. Under this new agreement, OpenAI will help advance BBVA’s AI strategy, which aims to transform the customer experience, enable new ways of working, and optimize internal operations.

With this collaboration, BBVA will create new AI solutions with OpenAI 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.

“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 personalized banking experience, anticipating the needs of every client,” said Carlos Torres Vila, Chairman, BBVA.

Building on proven success

This expansion builds on almost two years of successful AI deployment. BBVA began working with OpenAI in May 2024, when it rolled out 3,300 ChatGPT accounts to employees. After seeing initial success, BBVA expanded its rollout to 11,000 employees, creating thousands of custom GPTs for collaboration and work, with people saving nearly three hours per week on routine tasks and more than 80% engaging daily.

BBVA is now expanding its rollout of ChatGPT Enterprise to all 120,000 employees across its operations, in 25 countries. This makes it one of the largest enterprise deployments of generative AI in the financial services industry and an example of how AI can be used to improve workflows in a highly regulated environment.

The rollout of ChatGPT Enterprise across the entire BBVA Group includes security and privacy controls, access to OpenAI’s latest models, and tools for creating internal agents connected to BBVA systems.

The two companies will also collaborate on specialized training programs and a structured adoption model to integrate these tools consistently and securely across all areas and functions.

“BBVA is a strong example of how a large financial institution can adopt AI with real ambition and speed. 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,” said Sam Altman, CEO, OpenAI.

Building an AI-native bank

Beyond employee productivity, BBVA is also using AI to transform banking for customers. It has already rolled out a virtual assistant, Blue, built on OpenAI models, which helps people manage cards, accounts, and everyday questions using natural language.

As part of this new agreement, BBVA will have a dedicated team working directly with OpenAI’s product, research, and technology success teams to accelerate the bank’s shift toward becoming an AI-native institution. BBVA is also exploring ways to integrate its products and services so customers can interact with the bank directly through ChatGPT.

This expanded alliance highlights how businesses like BBVA are moving beyond experimentation to embed AI at the core of their business and transform daily work, operations, and customer experiences. Today, more than one million business customers, including Deutsche Telekom, Virgin Atlantic, and Accenture, work with OpenAI, making it the fastest-growing business platform of all time.