Science & Tech · AI · 6 hrs ago
NAB gives 40,000 staff access to AI tool Ruby
National Australia Bank has deployed Ruby, an AI tool built on an Anthropic platform, for more than 40,000 staff.
The bank says Ruby will be available for staff personal productivity.
NAB has also formed around 50 cross-divisional teams to develop AI uses with partners including Anthropic and AWS.
The bank says AI has helped cut business loan approval times by 20 percent and increased its change delivery cycle by 18 percent.
These figures are percentage-based gains; NAB did not state the dollar value of its AI investments.
The rollout comes as NAB plans to cut about 2,500 jobs, and the Finance Sector Union has raised concerns that AI investment is contributing to the reductions.
NAB says its teams will pursue further AI uses focused on business banking, deposits and home lending.
NAB has deployed its AI tool Ruby to more than 40,000 staff for personal productivity.
Ruby is built on an Anthropic platform, the bank’s managing director and group CEO Andrew Irvine said.
NAB has also established around 50 business-led, cross-divisional squads to develop further AI use cases.
The bank cited an 18 percent increase in its change delivery cycle and a 20 percent reduction in business loan approval times.
The deployment comes as NAB plans to cut about 2,500 staff, and the Finance Sector Union has raised concerns that AI investments are contributing to the reductions.
- Who
- National Australia Bank (NAB) and its more than 40,000 staff.
- What
- NAB deployed Ruby, an AI tool for personal productivity, and set up around 50 squads to progress other AI use cases.
- When
- Irvine revealed Ruby during a media call accompanying NAB’s FY26 results announcement. The article was published on November 5, 2026.
- Where
- At NAB; the article does not state a specific location.
- Why
- NAB says AI will be increasingly important to serving customers and running the bank, and that its use cases can support growth and productivity.
NAB
Finance Sector Union
AI and planned staff reductions
NAB
NAB says AI can support customer service and productivity; it has announced plans to cut about 2,500 staff.
Finance Sector Union
The union has expressed concern that investments in AI are contributing to the staff reductions.
NAB set up its key AI squads and established frameworks and foundations to govern and manage AI activities.
NAB announced a planned reduction of about 2,500 staff.
Andrew Irvine revealed Ruby during a media call accompanying the results announcement.
- Staff access
- More than 40,000 NAB staff
- AI tool
- Ruby, built on an Anthropic platform
- AI squads
- Around 50 business-led, cross-divisional squads
- Change delivery cycle
- 18 percent increase, according to NAB
- Business loan approvals
- 20 percent reduction in approval times, according to NAB
- Planned staff reduction
- About 2,500 staff
What people are saying
We have now deployed an AI solution that we've branded Ruby to our internal colleagues.
Over 40,000 of our colleagues will have access to Ruby, and that's built on an Anthropic platform that we're very excited about.
AI technology is developing rapidly and will be increasingly important to how we serve customers and to how we run our bank.