ANZ, in partnership with Microsoft, has unveiled an AI Immersion Centre at its Melbourne headquarters, marking a significant first in the banking sector for Australia and New Zealand. This state-of-the-art facility is designed to fast-track the adoption of generative AI across the bank, with plans to train 3,000 of its leaders over the next year.
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The AI Immersion Centre will offer hands-on learning experiences, helping ANZ leaders understand and safely implement generative AI technologies. To support this initiative, ANZ has invested in 3,000 Copilot for Microsoft 365 licenses, emphasizing its commitment to leveraging AI to enhance customer service, streamline operations, and meet regulatory standards.
Gerard Florian, ANZ’s Group Executive of Technology, highlighted the bank’s strategic approach: “We are actively embracing generative AI across all lines of our business to improve how we serve and protect our customers, process work, and meet regulatory standards. Applied safely, generative AI can enhance experiences for customers and employees, and help us generate business outcomes faster, with lower risk and at lower cost.”
Microsoft’s 2024 Work Trend Index reveals that Australia and New Zealand are leading adopters of generative AI, with 84% of employees using AI tools at work—higher than the global average. The AI Immersion Centre will further empower ANZ’s leaders to support their teams in adopting these tools effectively.
Steven Worrall, Managing Director at Microsoft Australia and New Zealand, expressed pride in the partnership, stating, “The launch of the AI Immersion Centre reflects Microsoft and ANZ’s shared commitment to fostering an environment where technological advancement and employee empowerment go hand in hand.”
ANZ’s adoption of AI includes deploying GitHub Copilot to 3,000 software developers, resulting in significant productivity improvements. The bank has also developed Z-GPT, a private chatbot for internal use, allowing safe experimentation with generative AI.
As ANZ continues to integrate AI at scale, it aims to deliver higher-quality services faster, setting new standards in the banking industry.
