New multi-year partnership will give employees access to OpenAI's advanced tools
The Commonwealth Bank (CBA) will bring advanced artificial intelligence tools to its employees in a new multi-year partnership with ChatGPT developer OpenAI.
The CBA announced on Wednesday the partnership with OpenAI to become its strategic banking partner in Australia.
Under the deal, CBA said its employees will progressively get access to OpenAI's advanced AI tools, including its enterprise-grade AI solution, ChatGPT Enterprise.
Matt Comyn, CEO of CBA, said a key objective of the partnership is equipping employees with the most advanced AI tools and capability.
"We will continue to invest in our people and their AI proficiency so they can better support our customers, while building their skills and experience," Comyn said in a statement.
CBA is one of Australia's largest employers with 48,900 staff.
Last month the bank confimed changes to its workforce after the Finance Sector Union (FSU) accused the bank of axing 90 jobs, including 45 roles in Direct Banking due to the introduction of a new voice bot system.
A spokesperson from CBA told HRD that the bank was holding consultations on the affected roles, and was looking at internal jobs and reskilling opportunities for employees.
"To meet the changing needs of our customers, like many organisations, we review the skills we need and how we're organised to deliver the best customer experiences and outcomes. That means some roles and work can change," a spokesperson said.
In its new partnership with OpenAI, CBA said it will continue investing in comprehensive training and upskilling programs to embed the responsible use of AI across its workforce.
"To be globally competitive, Australia must embrace this new era of rapid technological change," Comyn said.
"Our strategic partnership with OpenAI reflects our commitment to bringing world-class capabilities to Australia, and exploring how AI can enhance customer experiences, better protect our customers, and unlock new opportunities for Australian businesses."
Meanwhile, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said they are excited to work with CBA in their new partnership.
"We're excited to work together to put advanced AI into the hands of more Australians, making it more useful and impactful for people and businesses across the country," Altman said in a statement.
OpenAI has been collaborating with organisations across the world to grant them early access to its tools. It recently partnered with Air New Zealand to also give the airline's employees access to ChatGPT Enterprise.
