Editorial illustration for BBVA Rolls Out AI to 11,000 Staff, Boosting Productivity by 3 Hours Weekly
BBVA Empowers 11,000 Employees with AI Productivity Boost
BBVA scales AI to 11,000 staff, saving 3 hrs weekly per employee
BBVA gave 11,000 employees a new company tool, and they actually used it. This is not normal. Most corporate tech rollouts fail. But the Spanish bank’s internal AI experiment has stuck, saving each worker an average of three hours a week.
The secret was making it safe. Instead of banning the use of ChatGPT and creating a shadow IT problem, BBVA gave staff a sanctioned, secure version and told them to play. They built more than 20,000 custom GPTs for tasks like drafting emails and reviewing code. About 4,000 are now in regular rotation.
Adoption rates are what every chief technology officer dreams of and rarely sees. 83% of those with access are active on the platform weekly. In some workflow tests, efficiency jumped by over 80%.
"We deployed initially to 3,000 employees, then very quickly jumped to 11,000 employees." - ~3 hours saved per employee per week - 83% weekly active usage - Efficiency improvements up to 80%+ in workflow tests - 20,000+ Custom GPTs created across the bank, with around 4,000 GPTs used frequently BBVA built its AI program on trust, governance, and structured learning--enabling scale without compromising security. "We created this atmosphere of being in a safe place to learn and to use AI," says Alfaro. Rather than pushing experimentation underground, BBVA brought it into a trusted environment and reduced shadow-AI risk by giving employees secure tools and clear guardrails. "Instead of shadow AI… we gave them a platform that was safe so they could start experimenting," Alfaro notes, "and we gave specific training for 250 leaders, including our CEO and chairman." - ChatGPT Enterprise deployed across teams globally - Security, legal, and compliance aligned from the start - Thousands of Custom GPTs created by employees - 250 senior leaders trained, including the CEO and chairman This structured approach is now showing results at scale.
The training part is key. BBVA didn't just flip a switch. It trained 250 leaders first, including the CEO.
This turned managers into internal advocates, not roadblocks. The rapid scale from 3,000 to 11,000 users happened because the tools proved useful on the ground, for boring work.
This is the quiet, unsexy model for how AI might actually enter the workplace. Not with a disruptive bang, but as a governed utility that makes the daily grind slightly less grinding. The three hours saved per week is a real number.
It adds up. Whether that time is reinvested into more work or just gives people their evenings back is the next question.
Further Reading
- BBVA scales up ChatGPT use, expands AI access to 11,000 employees - Qorus Global
- BBVA to roll out ChatGPT across 120,000-strong global workforce - FS-Tech
- BBVA and OpenAI collaborate to transform global banking - OpenAI
- BBVA expands its agreement with OpenAI to 11000 ChatGPT licences for the bank's employees - BBVA
- BBVA Rolls out ChatGPT to Almost all Employees in OpenAI Deal - Marcel van Oost Digital Banking
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Common Questions Answered
How many employees are now using AI tools at BBVA?
BBVA has rapidly scaled its AI deployment to 11,000 employees across the organization. The bank initially started with 3,000 employees and quickly expanded to a much larger workforce.
What productivity gains has BBVA achieved through AI implementation?
BBVA employees are saving approximately 3 hours per week through AI tools, with efficiency improvements reaching up to 80% in workflow tests. The bank has also seen an impressive 83% weekly active usage of these AI solutions.
How many custom GPTs has BBVA created in its AI transformation?
BBVA has developed over 20,000 custom GPTs across the bank, with around 4,000 of these AI tools being used frequently by employees. This extensive development demonstrates the bank's commitment to tailored AI solutions for different workplace needs.
Further Reading
- BBVA's AI Strategy: Analysis of Dominance in FinTech AI — Klover.ai
- How BBVA is using AI to save employees 3 hours a week — American Banker
- BBVA scales up ChatGPT use, expands AI access to 11,000 employees — Qorusglobal
- BBVA's AI-Powered Leap: How Strategic Tech Integration Drives Efficiency and Dominance in Banking — AInvest
- BBVA creates ChatGPT Store and expands use of the GenAI tool — ComputerWeekly
