In the next four weeks, CaixaBank will implement an AI-based virtual agent that allows any user to inquire about or initiate the contracting of financial products. This deployment, which will cover nearly 40 products and manage around 6,000 monthly conversations, represents a significant advancement in the digitalization of Spanish banking. The virtual agent, developed with Salesforce's Agentforce technology, will be available in all chats, including those initiated by the bank when a customer requests a call. CaixaBank emphasizes that users will always have the option to continue with the AI agent or be attended to by a human specialist. Although the specific investment in this project has not been detailed, the entity frames this initiative within its Strategic Plan 2025-2027, which allocates over 5 billion euros for technology and digital transformation. Competition in Banking AI CaixaBank is not a pioneer in the use of AI in Spanish banking. In February 2025, BBVA enhanced its chatbot Blue by integrating ChatGPT technology through a partnership with OpenAI, allowing for up to 150 types of inquiries and operations. However, BBVA clarified that direct product sales were not yet available, although its goal is to offer a fully conversational service in the future. According to its president, Carlos Torres, the aim for 2026 is to lead banking in the era of artificial intelligence. For now, CaixaBank has taken a step forward by becoming the first Spanish financial institution to deploy an AI agent in all digital interactions with customers, guiding the process up to the step before signing products like loans or insurance. However, the final formalization still requires the intervention of a specialist. The push for AI responds to the search for greater efficiency, productivity, and digital sales. CaixaBank highlights that its app, with over 12.6 million users, is the main channel for customer relations in Spain. To drive innovation, it has its technology subsidiary CaixaBank Tech and multidisciplinary teams dedicated to digital transformation. Global Investment Landscape The international context shows accelerated growth of AI in the banking sector. According to Precedence Research, the global AI market in banking will reach $34.58 billion by 2025 and could reach $379.41 billion by 2034, with an annual growth rate of 30.63%. By 2025, more than 65% of financial entities were already using AI for data analysis, and 92% of U.S. banks integrated conversational AI. The use of generative AI in chatbots is expected to increase by 85% by 2026, the year when 82% of banks plan to expand their services to investment and insurance advice. This trend is not exclusive to Spain. In the United States, Bank of America has been using its assistant Erica since 2018, which resolves 98% of inquiries without human intervention and manages two million daily interactions, equivalent to the work of 11,000 employees. The bank has invested nearly $120 billion in technology in recent years, with an annual budget of $12 billion, of which $4 billion is allocated to innovation. JPMorgan Chase plans to invest $19.8 billion in technology in 2026, a 10% increase from the previous year. Its CEO, Jamie Dimon, believes that AI will impact all areas of the bank, from software development to risk management. Morgan Stanley, for its part, launched an AI assistant for wealth management in 2023, already used by 98% of its advisors. In Europe, the adoption of AI in banking rose from 60% in 2020 to 86% in 2024, according to the European Banking Authority, and currently reaches 95% if pilot-phase entities are included.