Strategic Collaboration with OpenAI
BBVA has formed a strategic collaboration with OpenAI to fundamentally transform banking processes and customer interactions through artificial intelligence. This partnership aims to integrate AI across various facets of the bank, including customer experience, operations, risk management, software development, and the daily work of employees.
The Eight: BBVA’s AI Transformation Roadmap
By the end of 2025, the collaboration evolved into a broader strategic relationship centered around BBVA’s AI transformation roadmap known as “The Eight.” This initiative encompasses customer engagement, commercial banking, risk assessment, operational efficiency, software development, and enhancing employee productivity. BBVA is rethinking how customers interact with financial services, how decisions are made, and how operations can scale effectively using AI.
Leadership Insights
Carlos Torres Vila, Chair of BBVA, emphasized that the partnership with OpenAI accelerates the integration of AI within the bank, aiming to create a smarter, more proactive, and personalized banking experience that anticipates client needs. Antonio Bravo, Head of AI Transformation at BBVA, described “The Eight” as a framework for building a more intelligent and personalized banking experience through close collaboration with OpenAI.
Deployment and Governance
The relationship began in 2024 with an initial deployment of ChatGPT Enterprise to 3,000 employees, which later expanded to encompass the entire organization. Currently, approximately 100,000 BBVA employees are utilizing ChatGPT Enterprise, with over 70% of these employees being active users on a monthly basis.
To ensure a successful scaling of AI, BBVA established trust, governance, and structured learning as core pillars. This involved aligning security, legal, compliance, and technology teams, as well as creating an internal network of AI champions and advanced users, referred to as AI “wizards.” Leadership training included around 250 senior leaders, including the CEO and chairman, to foster a culture of AI adoption.
Operational Results and Custom GPTs
Reported operational outcomes indicate that employees save approximately three hours per week due to AI integration, with efficiency improvements of up to 80% in selected workflows. Employees have also created over 20,000 custom GPTs, with about 4,000 in frequent use. Notable examples include GPTs designed for credit analysis, legal responses in retail banking, and customer survey analysis in Mexico and Peru.
Future Directions
BBVA and OpenAI are committed to continuing the expansion of AI use cases under “The Eight,” focusing on long-term integration of AI across the bank’s functions rather than treating AI as a standalone project.
Original source: OpenAI News