Emirates NBD to use generative AI to transform operations

Image: WAM

Emirates NBD is leveraging the power of generative artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance its operations and raise productivity across various business functions supported by Microsoft.

The transformation covers three significant initiatives that will drive advancements in software development, collaboration and customer engagement for the bank, according to the Dubai Media Office.

Empowering IT teams at Emirates NBD with Github Copilot X

The bank’s IT teams are leveraging the capabilities of GitHub Copilot X, an advanced generative AI tool developed by Microsoft, with more than a thousand developers now empowered with this advanced coding assistant.

With the help of this tool, Emirates NBD expects to see a boost in coding proficiency, software development speed and quality.

Emirates NBD will also be one of the first companies to access the preview of Microsoft 365 Copilot. This collaborative tool, powered by generative AI, will enable the bank’s employees to enhance their productivity by automating repetitive tasks, generating content, and assisting with complex decision-making processes.

By piloting the usage of Microsoft 365 Copilot across the organisation, the bank aims to create a more agile and intelligent workplace, driving innovation and optimising productivity.

Additionally, Emirates NBD will be deploying ChatGPT, a conversational AI model, across all business and support functions, including its contact centres and Marketing, Legal, Compliance, and Risk departments.

The bank recently hosted a successful ‘Generative AI Hackathon’, where blended teams from business and IT collaborated with experts from Microsoft, McKinsey and Quantum Black.

Emirates NBD teams came together to harness their genius, by participating in an internal AI-themed, three-day hackathon!

?The #GenAI#Hack was run by our Group Digital Office, with the support of esteemed industry (cont) https://t.co/arNN3er0Q3 pic.twitter.com/W7rkScFA9l

— Emirates NBD (@EmiratesNBD_AE) June 22, 2023

During the hackathon, Emirates NBD gained valuable insights into the capabilities of ChatGPT, prompt engineering, dataset preparation and model fine-tuning techniques. The adoption of this tool will enable the bank to deliver personalised customer experiences, improve operational efficiency, and foster innovation, according to the Dubai Media Office.

Abdulla Qassem, group chief operating officer, Emirates NBD, stated, “By leveraging the power of generative AI, we aim to transform our business operations, elevate our customer experience, and stay at the forefront of technological innovation, further reinforcing our position as a leader in digital innovation.”

Samer Abu-Ltaif, corporate VP and president – Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, Microsoft, said, “We are pleased to support Emirates NBD in unleashing its transformative power.  At Microsoft, we have leveraged advancements in supercomputing and machine learning to train powerful AI models capable of revolutionising various tasks using natural language.”

In recent news, Emirates NBD launched carbon future contracts trading, addressing the growing demand from corporations to manage their carbon emissions offsetting.

The bank’s carbon future contracts trading facility also gives clients access to a rapidly growing asset class with an estimated value of Dhs850bn across six global emission trading schemes.

Emirates NBD’s carbon contract trading is aligned with the guidelines set by the EU and UK’s emission trading systems (ETS), providing full transparency, credibility and accountability.

The ETS’ follow the ‘cap and trade’ system whereby companies are given a limit or ‘cap’, on the amount of greenhouse gases they can emit. If a company exceeds its limit, it is required to buy permits, called allowances, from others who have emitted less.