It is expected to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence across the organisation
ANZ has announced a partnership with Microsoft to open an AI Immersion Centre at its Melbourne headquarters, marking a first for the banking sector in Australia and New Zealand.
Located at 833 Collins Street, the centre will train 3,000 ANZ leaders over the next 12 months to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence across the organisation.
The AI Immersion Centre is designed to provide hands-on learning experiences, helping ANZ leaders understand and implement generative AI safely. As part of this initiative, ANZ has purchased 3,000 licences for Microsoft 365’s Copilot, a generative AI tool aimed at enhancing productivity.
Gerard Florian (pictured above left), ANZ’s group executive of technology, stated that the bank is embracing generative AI across all business lines to improve customer service, streamline operations, and ensure compliance with 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,” Florian said. He added that Microsoft’s expertise in responsible AI innovation was a key factor in the partnership.
Steven Worrall (pictured above right), managing director at Microsoft Australia and New Zealand, said both companies were committed to technological advancement and employee empowerment.
“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,” he said.
According to the 2024 Work Trend Index from Microsoft and LinkedIn, Australia and New Zealand are among the leading adopters of generative AI in the workplace, with 84% of employees using the technology — higher than the global average of 75%. Many employees in these regions are independently bringing AI tools to work, even before formal training or introduction by their organisations.
The AI Immersion Centre is part of a broader initiative at ANZ to integrate AI across its operations. This includes the deployment of Copilot for Microsoft 365, GitHub Copilot, and the development of Z-GPT, an internal chatbot designed to assist employees with information generation and integration.
ANZ piloted Copilot for Microsoft 365 in November 2023 and has since expanded its use with the additional 3,000 licences. The bank has also rolled out GitHub Copilot to 3,000 software developers and engineers, who have reported productivity improvements of 40% to 55% in certain tasks.
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