Singaporean bank UOB will begin its use of Microsoft 365 Copilot in October, with 300 of its employees across multiple frontline and back-end business functions progressively gaining access to the new generative artificial intelligence ( AI ) innovation from Microsoft.

Staff in customer service, technology and operations will be able to use the tool, the banks says, “to improve productivity, accessibility and collaboration in a secured manner”.

The AI tool, introduced by Microsoft in March, combines the power of large language models with business data from users’ calendars, emails, chats documents, meetings and more, and Microsoft 365 apps like Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Teams to turn words into a generative-AI powered productivity tool.

Participating UOB employees can access the tool for one year as part of its early access programme, during which they will receive support from Microsoft’s global centre of excellence and customer success team. Workshops are also available to them to ensure a smooth and seamless adoption and onboarding process.

“Generative AI has been at the forefront of emerging technologies, and we see tremendous potential in integrating it into daily operations,” shares Lawrence Goh, the bank’s chief operating officer and head of group infrastructure platform services, group technology and operations. “We hope that this tool can spark creativity and inspire innovation among employees, ultimately further enhancing our customers’ banking experiences.”