TLDR: BBVA is significantly advancing its artificial intelligence strategy through an expanded partnership with Google Cloud, deploying Gemini-powered Workspace tools to 100,000 employees. This initiative aims to enhance productivity, foster innovation, and strengthen security across its global operations. The bank is also expanding its AI Factory, collaborating with OpenAI, and focusing on responsible AI development.
BBVA is making substantial strides in its digital transformation and artificial intelligence (AI) adoption strategy, highlighted by an expanded collaboration with Google Cloud. This strategic move involves the deployment of Google Workspace with Gemini across BBVA’s global operations, empowering approximately 100,000 employees with advanced generative AI capabilities.
The integration of Gemini into everyday tools like Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Sheets is set to revolutionize how BBVA teams work, make decisions, and collaborate. Early reports indicate that automating repetitive tasks with AI saves employees nearly three hours per week on average, freeing up valuable time for more strategic and customer-focused initiatives. Employees will leverage Gemini to summarize, draft, and find information across various platforms, create professional documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and videos, and enhance collaboration during calls. Beyond Workspace, the standalone Gemini app and NotebookLM will assist with research, generating audio overviews of complex findings, and creating comprehensive reports.
Elena Alfaro, Global Head of AI Adoption at BBVA, emphasized the significance of this partnership, stating, ‘The partnership with Google Cloud allows us to continue transforming how our teams work, make decisions, and collaborate—using the most competitive generative AI models on the market.’ Isaac Hernandez, Country Manager Spain, Google Cloud, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the transformative power of generative AI in the enterprise and Google Cloud’s commitment to providing advanced AI tools to industry leaders like BBVA.
In parallel with this deployment, BBVA has launched a mandatory training program called ‘AI Express.’ This program focuses on the broader use of artificial intelligence, providing employees with clear principles for secure and responsible AI adoption across various use cases, aligning with the European Union’s AI Act and BBVA’s internal data protection policies.
BBVA’s commitment to AI extends beyond this Google Cloud partnership. The bank has a robust data and AI governance strategy to ensure the safe and responsible use of AI, adhering to industry best practices and international regulations. This includes maintaining an inventory of its AI systems and regularly monitoring them for accuracy and relevance.
Further demonstrating its leadership in AI, BBVA has been recognized by OpenAI for its collaboration in the global launch of GPT-5, with the bank actively testing the system in strategic tasks. The bank also recently introduced a feature allowing customers to personalize Visa cards using Apple Intelligence technology. Additionally, BBVA is investing in foundational research, embarking on a three-year ‘Fair Learning’ project with the University of Navarra to address ethical, technical, and regulatory challenges in responsible AI.
To accelerate the development and adoption of AI-based solutions, BBVA’s AI Factory, a center dedicated to creating AI solutions, has expanded to Mexico and Türkiye. This expansion aims to foster global product development and knowledge sharing, supported by the hiring of 230 new AI experts, bringing the total headcount in these ‘factories’ to over 400 professionals. The bank has also rolled out ADA, its global data platform built on AWS, in Mexico and Colombia, which centralizes analytical processes, ensures real-time data access, and scales AI utilization. Moreover, BBVA has integrated an AI-based financial coach into its mobile app to assist customers in managing their finances and achieving personal goals.
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This comprehensive approach underscores BBVA’s dedication to leveraging AI for enhanced security, operational efficiency, and innovative customer experiences across its global footprint.
