Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) is escalating its adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) by integrating it across its entire software development process, an initiative spearheaded by a specialised engineering unit. As per Brendan Hopper, CBA’s Chief Information Officer for Technology, AI tools and features will be utilised throughout the entire software delivery lifecycle, augmenting everything from planning, coding, testing, to maintenance. 

The AI-focused team, inaugurated in July, is actively seeking experts to leverage emerging AI-assisted technology to enhance engineering capabilities and stimulate innovation. Hopper indicated that the expanding team would swiftly assess advanced AI tools, facilitating engineers to optimise workflows, generate innovative solutions, and boost safety. 

The unit, under the leadership of CBA stalwart Martha McKeen, plans to maintain CBA’s 10,000 tech specialists and engineers at the vanguard of AI utilisation, delivering personalised experiences. McKeen, now the Executive Manager of AI-Powered Engineering, is reportedly recruiting a dedicated squad of engineers to expedite the exploration and testing of new AI-assisted engineering tools.

The bank has already progressed in harnessing generative AI technology, with over 50 use cases developed since its initial experimentation in May 2023. Other successful projects encompass the bank's IT chatbot, ChatIT, and several customer-facing AI features. Hopper emphasised the bank’s commitment to fast-paced experimentation for swift technology adoption, benefiting both customers and the organisation.

- CyberBeat