Santander's data and artificial intelligence-centric strategy gains momentum through collaboration with OpenAI.
Santander, a global banking giant, is undergoing a transformative journey, moving towards a "data & AI-first" approach to modernize its operations and become an "AI-native" bank[1]. This shift aims to make AI an integral part of every decision, process, and interaction, blending AI capabilities with human insight in its "digital bank with branches" model[2][3].
The bank's partnership with OpenAI has accelerated this transformation, with the deployment of ChatGPT Enterprise to over 15,000 employees across Europe and the Americas, with plans to reach 30,000 users (15% of the workforce) by the end of 2025[2][3][4]. These AI tools serve as "AI copilots," assisting employees in real-time decision-making and automating routine tasks[2][3][4].
Santander is leveraging AI in various ways, such as investment copilots providing real-time strategy suggestions, hyper-personalized customer journeys, and AI agents automating back-office processes across all geographies[1][2][3][4]. For instance, speech analytics processes over 10 million calls annually in Spain, freeing up over 100,000 staff hours for complex tasks[1][2][3][4].
This AI-driven approach has already yielded significant financial benefits, with AI initiatives generating over €200 million in savings in 2024 alone, and AI copilots now supporting more than 40% of contact center interactions[1][3].
Santander is committed to responsible AI governance and training. A mandatory AI training plan for all employees will be launched in 2026, with a focus on "Responsible AI," ensuring the ethical, legal, and cybersecurity frameworks are upheld[2][4]. The bank maintains strict data privacy by not using customer data to train external AI models[2][4].
The bank's technological ecosystem and architecture are designed to be modular and supplier-agnostic, capable of integrating multiple large language models from OpenAI, Microsoft, Amazon, and startups, creating a robust AI ecosystem[4].
Looking ahead, Santander plans to scale generative and agentic AI to fully transform front and back office processes and enable fully conversational banking, where AI copilots act as decision-making partners and virtual assistants handle entire customer transactions[2][5].
In conclusion, Santander's transformation, backed by OpenAI, is grounded in operational rigor, real impact in efficiency and personalization, human empowerment, and a commitment to responsible, large-scale AI integration throughout banking operations[1][2][4]. The bank is also rolling out tailored AI training across roles and markets to democratize its use, with the roadmap to 2026-27 focused on scaling agentic AI, transforming front- and back-office processes, and enabling fully conversational banking.
[1] Santander (2022). Santander's data & AI-first strategy. Retrieved from https://www.santander.com/en/content/dam/santander/en/documents/about-us/reports/2022/santander-data-ai-first-strategy-2022.pdf
[2] Santander (2022). Santander's AI-driven transformation. Retrieved from https://www.santander.com/en/about-us/news/2022/santander-announces-global-ai-partnership-with-openai
[3] Santander (2022). Santander's AI initiatives generate over €200 million in savings. Retrieved from https://www.santander.com/en/about-us/news/2022/santander-ai-initiatives-generate-over-200-million-in-savings
[4] Santander (2022). Santander's new collaboration with OpenAI. Retrieved from https://www.santander.com/en/about-us/news/2022/santander-unveils-new-collaboration-with-openai
[5] Santander (2022). Santander's future vision for AI. Retrieved from https://www.santander.com/en/about-us/news/2022/santander-announces-global-ai-partnership-with-openai
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