Nationwide Building Society is set to enhance its use of generative AI in 2025, focusing on assisting employees while maintaining human interaction. The CIO, Nitin Kulkarni, emphasizes responsible AI deployment with a solid governance framework. The society aims to optimize internal operations and improve customer service, leveraging partnerships, especially with Microsoft, as it evolves its AI strategy.
Nationwide Building Society, established back in 1884 as part of a growing mutual movement in the UK, is setting its sights on significantly ramping up the use of generative AI come 2025. The organization, which serves around 15 million members, aims to enhance the day-to-day life of its staff, rather than just jumping into technology for its own sake. Nitin Kulkarni, the chief information officer, says that AI will act more as a copilot for employees, ensuring that the focus remains on human interaction even as they explore this new frontier.
Kulkarni, who brought his experience from Barclays, joined Nationwide in July 2023. He emphasizes that incorporating generative AI is about assisting staff, not replacing them. “Using it as a copilot… this is the right sweet spot,” he stated, highlighting the need for a framework to manage generative AI responsibly while maintaining core principles of the organization. Nationwide wants to be a trailblazer in data and AI while taking cautious steps.
The society made headlines in January when it announced it would broaden its partnership with Microsoft to implement generative AI solutions which promise to enhance experiences for both customers and employees. For instance, using the GPT-4 model, they’ve improved customer letter response times dramatically—from an initial 45 minutes down to just 10-15 minutes. That translates to about a 66% improvement in efficiency, freeing staff to better focus on addressing complex member queries.
However, this advancement isn’t just a plug-and-play scenario. Kulkarni points out that a solid data foundation is paramount. Nationwide undertook significant data migration efforts, consolidating everything onto Microsoft Azure. This paved the way to leverage data analytics tools like Azure Databricks to get meaningful insights. “For AI to be successful, all data has to be in one place,” says Kulkarni, underscoring the critical step they’ve taken.
Now that employees can pull together the necessary data for their tasks, there’s a brighter outlook on how they could enhance personalization in customer service. Kulkarni also highlighted other potential areas for generative AI integration, like contact center support, credit risk evaluation, and even environmental reporting on CO2 emissions, aiming to improve overall service and enhance operational efficiency.
Keeping an eye on future developments, Nationwide has already introduced GitHub Copilot into the mix. With over 850 users now benefitting from this, it is said to empower developers to create optimized code that can lead to better customer experiences more swiftly. But, Kulkarni stresses, it all comes back to the data. As AI continues to evolve, the necessity for making informed, data-driven decisions is set to become ever more critical.
In terms of governance and responsible implementation of AI, Kulkarni mentions that they are collaborating with Microsoft to ensure oversight of AI performance. This partnership is governed by a responsible AI framework, which comes alongside an AI Center of Excellence established with IBM Consulting. There’s a dedicated AI Council that ensures all applications align with principles of fairness, transparency, and security, reinforcing the organization’s commitment to ethical AI usage.
Since generative AI surfaced significantly after the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, Kulkarni notes that the societal landscape around AI began to shift rapidly. The quest has moved beyond simple Q&A to more integrated applications within businesses. “The expansion we’re doing… is to ensure we’re using the latest and greatest tech,” he remarks with anticipation. As the company forges ahead, it is committed to continue evolving and adapting, to seize the opportunities laid out by this new technological wave.
Nationwide Building Society is diving headfirst into generative AI in 2025, aiming to not just improve efficiency but enhance the employee experience too. With a focus on careful integration and governance, they’re planning to deploy this technology as a supportive tool rather than a replacement. By partnering with Microsoft and emphasizing responsible use, Nationwide hopes to set a standard in the sector, paving the way for better customer interactions through personalized service and well-informed decisions.
Original Source: www.itpro.com
