NAB rolls out AI assistant Ruby to 40,000 staff, eyes further use cases

The bank’s new Anthropic‑based tool aims to boost productivity, with early gains in loan approvals and delivery cycles.

National Australia Bank (NAB) has launched an internal AI assistant called Ruby, built on the Anthropic platform, for more than 40,000 employees. The tool is pitched as a personal productivity aid and is part of a wider AI push that includes about 50 cross‑divisional squads working with partners such as Anthropic and AWS.

NAB says early results show an 18 percent faster change‑delivery cycle and a 20 percent drop in business‑loan approval times. The squads are tasked with developing around 50 additional AI use cases that align with the bank’s priorities of growing business banking, deposits and home‑loan portfolios.

Why it matters to your business

For founder‑led businesses, NAB’s rollout shows how a large organisation can embed AI at scale while still targeting productivity gains. The percentage‑based improvements suggest that even modest AI tools can speed up routine processes, freeing staff to focus on higher‑value work.

What to do on Monday

• Review your current workflow for repetitive tasks that could be automated with generative AI.
• Pilot a simple AI assistant for internal use, tracking time saved and error reduction.
• Set up a small cross‑functional team to identify 5‑10 high‑impact AI use cases aligned with your growth goals.

Sources

• itnews.com.au: NAB deploys AI for staff called 'Ruby' that is built on Anthropic

Reported by itnews.com.au.