How BBVA is using AI to save employees 3 hours a week

BBVA is expanding its AI offerings to its employees after the bank determined employees who used artificial intelligence saved hours of time on their work.

The Spanish bank announced a partnership with Google Cloud to offer Google’s AI assistant Gemini to all employees on Wednesday. The partnership grants BBVA employees access to the standalone gen-AI powered Gemini app, Google Workspace with Gemini and Google’s AI-powered research assistant NotebookLM.

This partnership is the second time BBVA has introduced generative AI tools to its workforce. A year ago, BBVA signed up for 3,300 ChatGPT Enterprise licenses through a partnership with OpenAI. 

As of May 2025, 83% of the bank’s licensed users used ChatGPT at least once a day and created approximately 3,000 specialized assistants for specific tasks, according to a company statement. The tasks automated by ChatGPT in BBVA include translations, document summaries, coding assistance and legal analysis of financial information.

According to the company, internal data revealed using ChatGPT to automate tasks saved the bank’s employees an average of 2.8 hours a week. The time can then be used on more strategic or customer-focused work instead of on rote tasks. BBVA then increased the number of ChatGPT Enterprise licenses to 11,000 in May 2025.

The newly announced deal with Google Cloud opens up the capacity for BBVA’s 100,000 global employees to incorporate AI into their daily work.

“We expect that the widespread adoption of generative AI across these tools will improve productivity and the work experience of all employees, regardless of their role,” said BBVA’s global head of workplace Juan Ortigosa.

The bank also announced the launch of a mandatory AI training program on the use of AI for its employees. The program, called “AI Express,” follows the European Union’s AI Act and BBVA’s internal data protection and confidentiality policies. Access to Google Workspace with Gemini, the Gemini app and NotebookLM will be granted specifically to employees who have completed the internal training programs.