Banco Santander (NYSE: SAN) has taken a major step forward in its data and AI-first transformation by making artificial intelligence tools available to every one of its roughly 185,000 employees worldwide. The move, effective immediately, significantly expands access from the nearly 40,000 staff members who previously used these technologies.
The expansion reflects a shift from strategic ambition to practical execution. Just one year after outlining its goal of becoming a data and AI-first bank, Santander reports early, measurable progress across operations, customer service, risk management, and internal processes.
The bank aims to generate more than €1 billion in combined revenue gains and cost savings from AI between 2026 and 2028. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, AI initiatives delivered €35 million in business value, with projections exceeding €200 million by the end of the year as more solutions reach scale.
Chief Data and AI Officer Ricardo Martín Manjón emphasized a focused approach: applying AI selectively where it delivers the greatest tangible results, measuring outcomes rigorously, and scaling successful solutions group-wide.
He noted that AI gains real power when it becomes embedded in daily customer interactions, analytical work, process acceleration, and overall productivity.
Over 280 automated process agents are now live, handling tasks in areas such as credit decisions, fraud detection, know-your-customer checks, and broader operations.
In Brazil, AI has cut the time required to process card fraud claims by 95 percent, achieving up to 90 percent automation with an error rate below 1 percent.
In the UK, voice-channel AI for common card inquiries is expected to handle 240,000 calls annually—about 40 percent of total volume—freeing up 26,000 hours for customers and 45,000 hours for service teams.
Similar natural-language capabilities are rolling out in Spain for Santander and Openbank channels.
Additional applications include real-time credit card eligibility assessments during customer onboarding in Spain and AI models at Openbank that process around 100,000 anti-money laundering alerts each year, shrinking investigation times from hours to minutes.
In software development, some 17,000 employees are already using agentic AI tools, with 40 percent of code generated by AI as of June 2026.Santander is also exploring AI-driven payments.
Getnet has enhanced international merchant experiences, and the bank became the first in Europe to test AI-agent-initiated payments with Mastercard, alongside parallel work with Visa in Latin America.
Employees gaining access will use tools such as Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365 tasks, alongside solutions from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and other partners.
These capabilities support everyday activities like document summarization, information retrieval, report preparation, and refining customer conversations.
The rollout includes comprehensive training, usage guidelines, and internal communities to promote responsible adoption.
All AI activity remains governed by strict ethical, legal, cybersecurity, and risk frameworks, with no customer data shared externally for model training.
By combining disciplined prioritization with broad accessibility, Santander is positioning AI as a core driver of efficiency, innovation, and competitive strength across its global operations. The bank continues to emphasize local implementation to achieve consistent, scalable impact worldwide.
