Banco Santander signs agreement with OpenAI to become an "AI-native" bank

Banco Santander has signed an agreement with OpenAI , the company behind ChatGPT, to strengthen its artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and become an "AI-native" bank, according to a statement issued by its head of Data and AI, Ricardo Martín Manjón.

"In today's financial landscape, the advantage lies not in simply using artificial intelligence, but in integrating it into the way we work," said Martín Manjón.

The firm's goal is to become an AI-native bank "with decisions, processes, and interactions based on data and intelligent technology." Banco Santander's aspiration is to "generate more value responsibly" and "combine the use of AI with human interaction."

Although Santander has been using AI for years in fraud detection and customer service, Santander's goal is to use generative AI and AI agents to optimize processes and redefine "what banking can be."

Santander's Head of Data explained that, in 2024 alone, AI saved € 200 million . Furthermore, AI copilots support 40% of contact center interactions, while also processing 10 million calls annually with AI.

Manjón has specified that 6,000 developers use AI tools within the bank, with productivity increases of 20% or 30% in some tasks.

Currently, ChatGPT—in its enterprise version—is available to approximately 15,000 group employees in Europe and the Americas. This year, the goal is to reach 15% of the workforce, equivalent to 30,000 employees . The objective for 2026 is to launch a mandatory AI training program for the entire workforce.

Regarding customers, Santander plans to expand its use of AI agents to transform commercial and administrative processes over the next two years. Santander aims for a "fully conversational" banking experience, with virtual assistants resolving transactions for customers so that AI is invisible and naturally integrated into the banking experience.