Unicaja Banco has launched an ambitious commitment to the conversational banking based on generative artificial intelligencein partnership with Nvidia and Deloitte Spain. The bank wants both its customers and employees to be able to interact with the bank.speaking in natural language”, either by voice or by text, instead of navigating through traditional menus.
This move is part of the entity's strategic plan, which reserves approximately 250 million euros for technological investments during the current three-year cycle. This budget includes the agreement reached with Nvidia and Deloitte, conceived as a key lever for transforming internal processes and customer service while remaining mindful of European regulations and data security.
Strategic alliance with Nvidia and Deloitte for a conversational bank
The project revolves around a Tripartite strategic alliance between Unicaja, Nvidia and Deloitte Spainaimed at deploying a large-scale conversational banking model. The first visible step for customers will be a voice assistant capable of resolving everyday queries, but the roadmap envisions that this assistant will eventually also recommend and market financial products.
According to the organization, the assistant will initially be launched as additional and fully optional channelCustomers will continue to have access to remote managers and physical branches. The idea is that users can ask the bank, for example, how much they pay for their car insurance, what coverage they have, or when a policy expires, without having to navigate through multiple screens.
Over time, the system will gain capabilities. The organization anticipates that, after the initial consultation and information phase, the assistant will be able to offer pre-approved loans And, if its acceptance is high, take the leap to contracting insurance policies and even mortgages through that same conversational channel.
Unicaja emphasizes that the agreement with Nvidia is cross-cutting in nature, not only geared towards the end customer, but also to optimize internal processes and the employee experienceDeloitte, for its part, acts as a support partner to ensure that the implementation meets the regulatory, risk and data governance requirements of the European financial sector.
Proprietary AI infrastructure and technological sovereignty
To make this conversational model viable, Unicaja has signed an agreement with Nvidia. software and proprietary infrastructure license agreementInstead of relying exclusively on pay-as-you-go cloud services, the bank aims to stabilize its long-term investment in artificial intelligence and prevent costs from skyrocketing as the use of these tools grows.
The entity is building a dedicated AI infrastructure on Nvidia's accelerated computing platformIt is ready to deploy open-source Large Language Models (LLMs) using Nvidia NIM microservices. This technological foundation enables the development of high-performance conversational applications hosted on a hybrid and modular architecture.
This architecture combines internal models developed by the bank itself with third-party business modelsThis allows for the selection of the most efficient option tailored to the specific needs of each business. This flexibility is a cornerstone of Unicaja's "AI sovereignty" strategy, which aims to maintain control over key systems and data.
The bank emphasizes that this hybrid approach offers it a agile, scalable and more economically predictable infrastructureThis contrasts with a model based solely on cloud providers with usage-based pricing. Furthermore, it allows for the rapid adaptation of models to European regulations on artificial intelligence and financial services.
In this context, Nvidia contributes not only computing power, but also specific solutions such as NVIDIA AI Enterprise, NIM Microservices, NeMo Guardrails, NeMo Evaluator, and AI Blueprintsdesigned to accelerate the development, evaluation, and secure deployment of generative AI-based applications in highly regulated environments.
Use cases already underway and efficiency improvements
Although the media focus is on the voice assistant for customers, Unicaja has been working on this for months. Testing and deploying conversational interfaces in internal processesThe company has already put into production various solutions in areas such as the marketing of insurance and mortgages, the development of its own software, and the automation of back-office tasks.
Internal assistants have also been activated for to support legal processes, manage customer complaints and streamline administrative processes that previously required more manual intervention. According to the bank's own data, these pilot programs have reduced response times by between 40% and 80%, depending on the specific use case.
In addition to speeding up operations, these conversational applications help to unify criteria and reduce errors, since the models can guide employees and customers through structured flowsbut with a more natural, conversational tone. The organization is confident that, as the models mature, their usefulness will extend to new business areas.
This deployment is accompanied by the creation of a team specializing in artificial intelligence and digital transformationThe team, comprised of over fifty professionals, combines internal talent with new hires and reports directly to the CEO, the board of directors, and the digital transformation committee, reflecting the strategic importance the organization places on AI.
The bank insists that this entire process is being handled in a “safe, ethical and responsible“While respecting European regulations on artificial intelligence, data protection requirements, and risk management standards in the financial sector, the presence of mechanisms such as NeMo Guardrails and specific evaluation systems aims to minimize biases and inappropriate responses from generative models.”
Deloitte's role in implementation and the regulatory framework
Deloitte Spain acts as key partner in defining and implementing the conversational banking modelFrom both a technological and business perspective, the consultancy brings its expertise in banking, risk, regulation, human capital, data, and technology—fields that are particularly sensitive for a financial institution.
The company is supporting Unicaja in the adoption of generative AI at the strategic and operational levelFrom use case design to integration with existing systems and internal change management, the goal is for the new tools to fit seamlessly with the bank's processes and for their use to comply with the regulatory requirements set by the Bank of Spain, the ECB, and EU regulations.
Deloitte emphasizes that this is a project with a clear purpose. pioneer within the banking sector on a global scaleBy combining its own AI infrastructure with cloud solutions and a conversational model designed for scalability, the firm believes that these types of initiatives will shape the future of banking in the coming years, in a context of intense competition and accelerated digitalization.
The collaboration with the consulting firm also aims to ensure that the implementation of AI has a positive impact on customer experience and internal organizationThis prevents automation from creating friction or disconnection with the end user. Therefore, a hybrid model is being favored, in which automated customer service coexists with traditional channels.
In parallel, the agreement with Nvidia serves as a testing ground for the technology company. develop solutions that can be exported to other entitiesincluding mid-sized banks in markets such as the United States. The lessons learned from Unicaja could be replicated, with the necessary adaptations, in other geographies and regulatory frameworks.
With all these elements, Unicaja aims to consolidate a proprietary conversational bank modelLeveraging sovereign AI infrastructure, top-tier technology partners, and a progressive rollout of use cases that is already demonstrating improvements in efficiency and agility, the organization aims to strengthen its competitiveness in Spain and Europe, modernize its relationships with customers and employees, and simultaneously maintain control over the technology and data that underpin its business.
