Citizens Bank is driving generative AI adoption by embedding the technology into employees’ day-to-day workflows, rather than treating it as a standalone tool. 

The $217 billion bank has given all of its more than 17,000 employees access to Microsoft Copilot Chat, Michael Ruttledge, chief information officer and head of enterprise technology and security at Citizens Financial Group, told FinAi News. In addition, it deployed the full Copilot suite to 2,900 colleagues, and that is expected to reach 5,500 this year. 

Copilot suite refers to deep integration of the platform across the entire Microsoft 365 ecosystem, including Outlook, Teams and PowerPoint, while Copilot Chat is the basic web-based AI assistant, according to Microsoft’s website.

Citizens engineers are also using GitHub Copilot to accelerate software development, alongside proprietary AI tools integrated into functions like customer service, commercial banking and operations, Ruttledge said. 

Training 

About 90% of Citizens employees completed some form of generative AI training in 2025, underscoring its push to build foundational AI literacy across the organization, he said. 

“Our approach to adoption is grounded in enablement, not incentives,” Ruttledge said. “We’re focused on building a culture where AI is intuitive, accessible and embedded into how work gets done.” 

The bank is embedding AI into core systems, promoting real-world use cases and encouraging peer-to-peer learning through a “champion” model, he said. Some employees that are proficient in AI are awarded the title of AI champion and help their colleagues in using the tech. 

Training goes beyond the basics.  

Monthly webinars and show-and-tell sessions highlight practical applications, while advanced AI academies and badging programs support deeper expertise, Ruttledge said.  

The bank is also launching an AI-powered learning platform that personalizes training based on each employee’s role and skill level, Ruttledge said. No launch date was announced.  

Embedding AI into daily workflows marks a shift from experimentation to scaled, operational use, Ruttledge said. 

The bank will report its Q1 earnings on April 16. 

Register here for the FinAi Lending Summit, set for Oct. 7-8 in Las Vegas.