Nationwide adopts Azure OpenAI GPT-4 technology, cutting customer query response times by 66% and enhancing service delivery.

Nationwide, the UK’s largest building society, has implemented Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI for enhanced customer service, reducing response times from 45 to 10-15 minutes. This integration illustrates the adoption of GenAI in traditional financial institutions, emphasizing efficiency while maintaining human oversight. By integrating GPT-4 via Azure OpenAI, Nationwide has aided back-office operations. Such as letter generation, reducing response times from 45 to 10-15 minutes. This initiative reflects the institution’s commitment to blending advanced GenAI with human expertise, ensuring all outputs are reviewed to maintain quality. Nationwide’s approach underscores its dedication to using AI to support employees rather than replace them.

The implementation follows a major data infrastructure overhaul, consolidating fragmented datasets from 250 absorbed building societies. Using tools like Azure Databricks and Teradata’s VantageCloud, Nationwide enables centralized access to customer data, enhancing personalization and operational efficiency. These foundational improvements have accelerated the deployment of GenAI, with the first solution implemented rapidly through Azure’s platform.

Nationwide’s AI Council ensures ethical governance of these technologies. Future applications include virtual assistants, credit risk assessment, economic crime monitoring, and tailored digital services. Nationwide emphasizes a “Copilot, not autopilot” approach, ensuring all AI outputs are human-reviewed. Future AI applications may extend to contact centers, credit risk assessment, and virtual assistants. Azure OpenAI’s secure cloud infrastructure offers scalable access to powerful AI models, enabling businesses to maintain security and compliance while leveraging AI for content creation, code assistance, and data analysis. Nationwide’s integration of GenAI aims to refine digital engagement, optimize decision-making, and enhance operational efficiency while ensuring human oversight remains central.