Santander partners OpenAI to become ‘AI-native’ bank

Editorial

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The Spanish giant is embarking on a “data and AI-first” transformation, according to chief data and AI officer Ricardo Martín Manjón.

“We’re reimagining Santander’s operations, grounding every decision in clean, trusted data, automating customer interactions and infusing every workflow with intelligence,” writes Manjón in an article on the bank’s site.

This means embedding AI across product management, credit, marketing, service, operations and other core functions, putting the technology at the core of Santander’s global platforms, and building an AI ecosystem working with the major players such as Open AI, Microsoft and Amazon as well as startups.

In just two months, the bank has rolled out ChatGPT Enterprise to nearly 15,000 employees across Europe and the Americas. This is expected to grow to 30,000 users by year-end, covering approximately 15% of the workforce.

“Why the urgency? This isn’t just about adopting AI, it’s about catalysing a shift in culture, productivity and experience,” writes Manjón.

Early use cases include investment copilots with real-time strategy suggestions, hyper-personalised customer journeys, and AI agents automating back-office processes across all geographies.

The effort is already bearing fruit, according to Manjón: in 2024 AI initiatives generated over €200 million in savings. AI copilots now support more than 40% of contact centre interactions. In Spain, Speech Analytics processes 10 million voice calls annually, auto-filling CRM systems to improve customer service and freeing over 100,000 hours annually for higher-value work.

Santander is now tailoring AI training across roles and markets to democratise its use and next year will see the launch of a mandatory AI training plan for all employees.

Concludes Manjón: “We’re not chasing hype. Our roadmap is built on real impact, operational rigor and human empowerment. Our data & AI-first strategy is how we deliver smarter solutions, happier customers and a future-ready bank.

“At Santander, we’re not just using AI. We’re becoming “AI-native”, with the trust, scale and humanity that banking demands.”