BBVA partners with the University of Navarra to train top executives in GenAI. The bank has already trained 50,000 employees in data science.

After training more than 50,000 employees in data, BBVA is now busy developing a new program, this time alongside the University of Navarra and focused on the use of tools such as ChatGPT. „The aim is to boost productivity by optimizing efficiency in decision-making and daily operations. The program is part of a partnership agreement to train bank employees in data science and new emerging technologies.” – according to the press release.

BBVA and the University of Navarra have launched a ground-breaking training initiative targeting more than 150 top managers, in a bid to improve productivity through generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). The course, created by the Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Institute (DATAI) of the University of Navarra together with BBVA’s own teams, focuses on the use of GenAI to improve productivity among top executives by optimizing their strategic decision-making and daily operations.

Ad hoc training to improve executive productivity

The program is part of the Group’s training model known as Campus BBVA. It presents the immense potential of genAI by showing how it has progressed, how it can be applied in various economic sectors, and how it is now redefining key processes in various industries. After learning about its impact within the business community, participants look at specific case studies in which ChatGPT has become an invaluable tool in making us more efficient in how we use information.

“The course caters to emerging needs following the recent integration of AI within enterprises. Through a complete introduction to genAI, participants explore its real impact on business management. With the case studies we look at, learners get to see how to apply this technology, from automating routine tasks to optimizing complex processes,” explains Iván Cordón, Head of Innovation at DATAI.

Alliance to accelerate the incorporation of AI

Since April of this year, upwards of 300 employees have already benefited from this training program in GenAI offered by the University of Navarra.

This learning pathway is part of a wider partnership agreement that both institutions signed back in 2020 to train their employees and foster research in data science through various other initiatives, including an official Master’s Degree in Big Data Science and a course in Big Data. Thanks to this training, employees have also been able to earn the title of Data Scientist Professional, a DATAI qualification that validates the knowledge and skills acquired by professionals working in the data science industry. Since the signing of the agreement, other employees have also started working on a doctoral thesis on how to apply data to overcome financial challenges or to analyze and mitigate biases in the bank’s automated decision-making tools, among other strands of research.

In the words of Elena Alfaro, head of GenAI Adoption at BBVA: “With this new training program, we are not just seeking to make our executives more productive and creative, we are also aiming to make them more adept at embracing emerging technologies, while encouraging them to lead change among their respective teams. Understanding the uses of genAI will help the company get the most out of this technology both now and in the future.”

BBVA has been taking some big steps forward in recent months in the use of genAI across its main markets. First, by prioritizing projects to be developed with various tools that employ this novel technology and second, by signing a strategic agreement with OpenAI to deploy ChatGPT Enterprise among its employees.

The bank has now delivered specialized training to around 5,000 employees (including data scientists, data specialists and data engineers) at its Data University. Notably, over 50,000 Group employees have taken part in some form of training in the world of data and AI.