NAB is set to host over 40 events and activities throughout August aimed at increasing its employees’ knowledge of data and artificial intelligence (AI). The initiative, now in its fourth year, is part of the bank’s ongoing efforts to improve AI literacy across its workforce.
Christian Nelissen, NAB Chief Data & Analytics Officer, said the program is designed to help staff develop new skills and confidence in using data and AI tools. “This month is a chance for our team to fully immerse themselves. It’s an open invitation to the more than 38,000 colleagues across the bank, whether they’re deep in the data or just starting out. We’re encouraging them to be curious, dive in and explore these tools,” Mr Nelissen said.
The educational program will offer 40 hours of learning spread over 19 working days. Sessions will focus on how various tools can enhance customer experiences while ensuring safe and responsible use. Topics include real-time personalisation for customers, ethical data practices, and insights into NAB’s evolving Lakehouse architecture.
Research from Canva indicates that most business leaders believe AI literacy will become essential within the next two to four years. Since launching Data & AI Month in 2021, NAB has provided employees with access to more than 200 hours of related training. Over 10,000 staff members have participated in these sessions during previous years.
The annual event is part of a broader strategy by NAB to build AI skills among all employees. In addition to this dedicated month of learning, ongoing development opportunities are available through Data & AI Guilds within the organisation.
“AI has been around for years, but the current pace of change is rapid. Providing opportunities to learn are vital to helping drive creativity and innovation.
“History shows us the pattern: from printing presses to electrification to the dot-com boom, every major leap has created new skills and roles.
“Fifty years ago, banks had thousands of typists. Today, we have none – and yet we employ more people than ever before. No one was hiring for a Prompt Engineer five years ago. The nature of work will change.
“We’re implementing GenAI tools which are removing drudgery for our people, giving them time back to solve more complex tasks that AI can’t for our customers.”
Data & AI Month also encourages teams at NAB to consider how better use of data could improve customer understanding and decision-making processes. “We have an enormous amount of data and reporting available to us,” said Mr Nelissen.
“But we haven’t fully tapped into its potential to rethink how we can anticipate customer needs, streamline decision making and rethink how our teams operate.
“That’s what Data & AI Month is all about – turning insight into action.”
During August’s events, participants will also hear from technology partners such as Databricks, AWS and Microsoft who play a role in NAB’s digital infrastructure.