BBVA Deploys Staff-Built AI Assistants, Cuts Call Handling Time

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, or BBVA, has used an all-digital model to expand its European retail franchise, entering Italy in 2021 and launching in Germany in June 2025. Customer-service efficiency is central to scaling a branchless bank, making contact-centre operations a practical test of whether generative AI can move beyond employee experimentation and deliver measurable gains in day-to-day banking.

BBVA said on Aug. 4, 2026 that staff at its digital banking operations in Italy and Germany had developed and deployed two generative AI assistants to handle common questions about products and services. The tools cut average handling time at the call centre by more than 15%, providing a concrete productivity benchmark for employee-built AI and potentially freeing agents to focus on more complex customer requests.