Santander has set out plans to become an “AI-native” bank by 2027, partnering with OpenAI to embed the technology across decision-making, operations and customer services.
The Spanish bank has already deployed AI in areas such as fraud detection and customer service.
“It’s about modernising and leading the shift towards personalised, agile and efficient banking,” said Ricardo Martin Manjón, chief data and AI officer.
The strategy depends on three pillars: embedding AI across all business units; placing it at the core of global platforms; and using an AI ecosystem, including partnerships with OpenAI, Microsoft, Amazon and startups, to drive growth.
Santander will roll out ChatGPT Enterprise to nearly 15,000 employees in Europe and the Americas within two months, aiming to reach 30,000 (15% of its workforce) by the end of the year.
Early applications include investment copilots, hyper-personalised customer journeys and AI-driven automation of back-office processes.
More than 6,000 developers are already using AI tools, reporting productivity gains of up to 30%.
Plus, AI initiatives at the bank generated over €200mn in savings in 2024, with copilots handling over 40% of contact centre interactions. In Spain, speech analytics processes 10mn calls annually, auto-filling CRM systems and freeing 100,000 staff hours.
The bank will introduce mandatory AI training for all employees from 2026, with “Responsible AI” as a core module.
Santander says its AI adoption is governed by strict ethical, legal and cybersecurity frameworks, with no customer data shared externally for model training.
By 2027, the bank aims to scale “agentic AI”, overhaul front- and back-office functions, and deliver “fully conversational banking”.
