Westpac has begun deploying Microsoft 365 Copilot across its global workforce in what is one of the largest AI rollouts by an Australian organisation and the biggest Copilot implementation in the Asia-Pacific financial services sector.

The deployment will provide AI assistance to more than 35,000 employees, contractors and service providers, aimed at boosting productivity and enhancing customer support.

The global rollout follows a pilot program in Australia last year involving 15,000 staff, which delivered measurable improvements in business outcomes and reduced time spent on routine tasks.

Speaking about the update, Westpac’s Chief Data, Digital and AI Officer, Andrew McMullan said AI is a strategic enabler for the organisation.

“There’s no doubt AI is helping us work smarter and faster so our people can spend more time focussed on delivering for our customers. Embedding AI at scale across the bank is an investment in our people, equipping them for success,” McMullan said.

“By helping our teams work more efficiently and access information faster, AI is removing friction so our people can focus on higher-value work.

“But technology alone isn’t the answer. We know AI needs to be used responsibly and has the strongest impact when it’s paired with skilled people, strong values and good judgment.” he said.

To underpin the rollout, Westpac is investing in large-scale AI capability building, delivering education programs such as masterclasses, support resources and “prompt-a-thons” to drive adoption.

The bank has also introduced Copilot Studio, enabling its Technology, Data and AI teams to develop custom AI agents.

Several agents are already in use, including tools for HR and IT that automate responses to common employee queries and handle routine requests.

Westpac has also established a dedicated innovation sandbox on Microsoft Azure, designed to support experimentation and the development of new AI-powered solutions across the organisation.

“Giving our teams access to these environments will accelerate innovation and encourage new ideas – whether that’s custom agents, workflow automation or analytical models,”

AI will completely reshape how we work and eventually how customers engage with our products and services. The potential is enormous,” McMullan said.

Duncan Taylor, General Manager of Financial Services at Microsoft ANZ, says Westpac’s introduction of AI for all employees demonstrates a commitment to its people and leadership in delivering AI innovation at scale.

“This will enable all Westpac employees to be more efficient in their daily work and remove the burden of digital overload many of us experience,” Taylor said.

“It also lays the foundation to scale innovation across the bank to create value for employees, customers and shareholders.”

“This is a prime example of innovation with trust, and we are proud to partner so deeply with Westpac on this journey.”

“The lessons we’re learning together are shaping the future of our products and the industry and demonstrate the tangible business value AI can deliver at scale.” he said.

The rollout positions Westpac at the forefront of enterprise AI adoption in financial services, as the bank looks to embed generative AI into day-to-day operations while scaling productivity, innovation and customer outcomes across its global workforce.