Artificial intelligence (AI) is already one of the main drivers of transformation in the financial sector and BBVA has been looking closely at how people incorporate it into their work. Training, new internal roles that promote its uptake, and a culture that encourages experimentation are some of the pillars of a strategy aimed at transforming how work is done across the organization. This approach reflects how BBVA is driving the adoption of AI within the bank. “What makes the difference is not the technology in itself, but how we support people so they feel confident in trying new ways of doing things,” says Aila Jiménez, Head of Talent & Culture Transformation and Data at BBVA. “Technology brings speed and the ability to analyze large volumes of data, but people remain essential in contributing judgment, critical thinking, and empathy in decision-making,” she adds.Virtually the entire BBVA Group workforce has access to licenses for generative AI tools, through global agreements with OpenAI and Google. More than half of BBVA employees use these tools on a weekly basis. More precisely, ChatGPT is used an average of 12 days per month per employee, and nearly nine days per month in the case of Gemini. These metrics show a high degree of consistency across areas and countries, indicating that adoption has permeated the entire organization.With this rollout, teams have already identified more than 8,000 active use cases, around 700 of which are considered relevant due to their potential and strategic importance. This figure continues to grow day by day as these capabilities become embedded across the organization.A prime example at the Talent & Culture area is a virtual assistant based on generative AI that supports each employee. Designed to enhance the day-to-day employee experience, the assistant provides quick answers on products and processes such as flexible compensation, benefits, professional development, and payroll. Available to employees in Mexico and Spain, the assistant already handles more than 34,000 queries per month, drawing on over 2,500 documents as its knowledge base.However, the real challenge is not just deploying tools, but identifying which processes can generate the greatest impact and how roles and professional capabilities evolve in this new environment. This vision involves coordinated work on areas such as training, leadership, and organizational culture so that artificial intelligence becomes naturally integrated into team workflows.AI reaches teams’ day-to-day workThe bank’s strategy is taking shape through concrete initiatives designed to bring these capabilities to the entire workforce. Among them is the rollout of ChatGPT Enterprise, which is driving new ways of working in areas such as data analysis, marketing, technology development, and document management. “In some cases, these tools make it possible to complete in a matter of minutes tasks that previously took hours, freeing up time for higher-value activities and allowing employees to focus on more strategic work,” explains Aila Jiménez.Currently, the bank estimates that automating repetitive tasks with these tools saves each employee around three hours per week—time that can be redirected toward activities with greater strategic value.One of the distinctive features of BBVA’s model is the creation of internal roles that act as catalysts for change. These ‘wizards,’ as they are known, are BBVA employees who promote the adoption of AI across different areas of the bank. Close to 750 employees are part of this network—a figure that continues to grow week by week—and they are helping identify new use cases, share best practices, and support teams in integrating these tools into their workflows. “Their role is key to accelerating the learning curve and making artificial intelligence an accessible and useful tool for the entire organization,” the expert emphasizes.Continuous training remains one of the essential levers for this rollout, both in technical skills and in broader capabilities such as critical thinking.BBVA has promoted knowledge of and responsible use of generative AI at all levels of the organization. These training initiatives have seen exceptional uptake over the past year: the Gemini Express course became the most widely attended training in the bank’s history in its first week, with more than 105,000 employees trained through the program. Overall, training programs related to AI exceeded 280,000 hours of training in 2025.Furthermore, more than 90,000 employees are now part of a community of practice, where they not only share knowledge but also drive internal training activities such as bootcamps, meetups, and mentoring sessions. This ecosystem, which has already hosted 20 global events since its inception, enables professionals to stay at the forefront of knowledge in this field.Culture and leadership to drive transformationBeyond technology, BBVA believes that the success of this transformation will depend to a large extent on organizational culture and leadership. As Aila Jiménez explains, one of the main challenges is “to create environments where teams can experiment with AI—each professional within their area of expertise—test new solutions, learn from the results, and transform processes with the support of AI to increase innovation, quality, and productivity.” The bank’s ultimate goal is to measure success by the degree of transformation achieved across the organization and in the way people work, not just by the number of tools deployed.Ultimately, the true potential of AI lies not only in the technology itself, but in how people use it to transform their work.NoYesArtificial Intelligence30 Apr, 2026