AI in Banking, Built for Your Whole Institution
The AI Innovation Series is a fully virtual program in AI automation for banks, offered by the Graduate School of Banking in Madison, Wisconsin. Over five days of live, two-hour sessions, banking leaders and teams see how institutions are putting artificial intelligence to work across strategy, operations, compliance, customer experience and workforce development, and leave with a plan to do the same.
Throughout the series, you will:
- Align AI with your bank’s strategy, governance and risk management so adoption is purposeful, not piecemeal
- See practical AI use cases in banking demonstrated in every session, showing exactly how to apply each tool in your role
- Build your first AI assistants and AI agents in tools your bank may already use, including Microsoft Copilot
- Learn from experienced banking leaders and industry experts who bring deep subject-matter expertise and real-world experience into the classroom
- Leave with an actionable AI adoption roadmap for your institution
One registration covers your entire bank, so everyone from the C-suite to frontline teams can build their AI skills together.
Where Banking Expertise Meets AI Automation
Generative AI in banking is changing how institutions operate, serve customers and develop their people. This series connects that change to the realities of banking. Every session is grounded in how financial institutions actually work, from regulatory obligations and vendor risk to lending, marketing and leadership, which is what makes it practical AI automation for banks rather than a general technology course. You will move from understanding what AI can do to knowing how to apply it responsibly at your bank, with examples you can put to work the following week. Explore all GSB schools and programs to see how the series fits into your team’s professional development.
One Registration Upskills Your Entire Bank
AI touches every part of your institution, so the AI Innovation Series is priced to include everyone. A single per-bank registration lets as many employees as you choose join the live sessions, and your whole team can watch the recordings for six months after the series ends. That makes it AI upskilling for your entire institution: bring your CEO and senior leaders together with teams in operations, IT, risk and compliance, HR, marketing and lending, so your bank builds shared AI literacy and moves forward together.
What Your Bank Will Gain
Whether you are setting AI strategy for your bank or looking for practical ways to use it in your daily work, every session is built around real-world application. Each one includes demonstrations and examples you can carry straight into your role.
Learn how AI fits into your banking strategy, what governance and ethical leadership look like in practice and how to evaluate return on investment, so your institution adopts AI with purpose.
Understand AI risk management in banking, including data privacy, cybersecurity and operational risk, along with the regulatory requirements and vendor management practices that apply to banks, such as how agentic access to online banking relates to Reg E. To go deeper on security, pair the series with the Bank Cybersecurity School.
Apply AI to policy and procedure writing, sales and prospecting, commercial, mortgage, agricultural and credit lending, marketing content and Excel analysis with Copilot and other AI-powered tools.
Build your first AI assistants in the tools you already have, then see how banks are advancing to AI agents in banking that connect to data, handle multi-step work and drive efficiency across departments. This is where AI automation for banks becomes real: digital staff and automated workflows sized for your institution, whether you run a community bank or a larger regional organization.
Use AI to enhance financial analysis, develop effective prompts, model outcomes against organizational goals and evaluate third-party AI vendors for deeper data analysis.
Gain the tools to guide your teams through AI adoption, from workforce planning and reskilling to honest conversations about job security and the human side of change.
Bring the week together in a hands-on final session where you create an action plan, define next steps and accountability and share best practices with bankers from other institutions.
How the Series Works
Over five days, live virtual sessions, demonstrations and practical application build on each other, so your team moves from AI foundations to a roadmap for your bank by the end of the week.
All sessions are held live online in Central Time. Every session is recorded, so your team can revisit or catch up on any session for six months after the series ends.
Our AI in Banking Curriculum
Executive Leadership: Strategic AI Integration & the Foundational Elements of AI
An orientation for all attendees, including C-suite leaders, on aligning AI with banking strategy, governance and ROI.
- How AI fits into your banking strategy
- AI governance, cultural impact and ethical leadership
- Real-world case studies of banks using AI at scale
- How the AI landscape has changed over the past 6–12 months
- How prompting has evolved toward outcome- and goal-focused requests
- Risks to be aware of and upcoming AI trends and opportunities
AI Infrastructure & Risk Management
Explore the models, tools, data privacy and cybersecurity considerations for operationalizing AI.
- Compare AI tools and platforms, including Microsoft Copilot tiers and Claude, and their ideal use cases
- Understand token use, budgeting and employee time allocation for AI development
- Weigh generally available tools against specialized vendors
- Manage AI system security and operational risk, including vendor management, data privacy and agent access to bank databases
Professional Skill Development Pt. 1: Keeping the Human Experience at the Center
Lead human-centered AI adoption that supports employees and strengthens customer relationships.
- Why AI success is more a change management challenge than a technology one
- Avoiding low-quality AI output and AI fatigue
- Strengthening customer communication and service training with AI
- Delivering hyper-personalized customer experiences
- Addressing concerns about job security, energy usage and more
Building Automation & AI Agents: From First Assistant to Enterprise Automation
Move from foundational opportunities to real automation that drives efficiency and cost savings.
- Build your first assistants with Microsoft Copilot agents, Google Gemini Gems, Claude Projects and custom GPTs
- See how bankers build agents that connect to data, take action and handle multi-step work
- Explore enterprise automation, live dashboards and digital staff at community banks
Professional Skill Development Pt. 2: Everyday Banking Applications
Use AI to streamline everyday work and drive stronger business outcomes.
- Policy and procedure writing, sales and prospecting support
- Lending applications for commercial, mortgage, agricultural and credit
- Content creation and customer, campaign and marketing data analysis
- Excel skills with Copilot and other AI-powered tools
Regulatory Guidance & Updates
Navigate AI regulatory requirements, vendor risk and compliance obligations.
- Selecting AI vendors and asking the right questions to manage risk
- AI in regulatory compliance and reporting
- Privacy and legal compliance
- Agentic access to online banking and how it relates to Reg E
- Examples of how banks are, and are not, using AI in these areas
Leading in the Age of AI: People, Culture & Change
Gain the tools to guide your teams through the changes AI brings to their work.
- Integrate AI into talent strategy, workforce planning and reskilling
- Work through case studies on uneven adoption, manager resistance and productivity expectations
- See short videos of bankers using AI in their daily leadership work
- Talk openly about job security and the questions employees are raising
Data, Financial Analysis & Research Applications
Apply AI to financial analysis, decision modeling and scenario planning.
- Enhance financial analysis and develop effective prompts for financial insights
- Model outcomes based on organizational goals with sample datasets and scenarios
- Use Excel with Copilot or Claude to build models and analysis
- Prepare your bank to evaluate third-party AI vendors for deeper data analysis
Hands-On AI Playground & Program Wrap-Up
Bring the week together and build an actionable roadmap for AI adoption at your bank.
- Explore agents, AI-supported coding and other emerging capabilities
- Create an action plan with next steps and accountability measures
- Share best practices across institutions
Who Should Attend
Given the wide-ranging impact of AI on banking, we encourage broad participation across your institution, from executives to finance professionals and frontline staff. This is AI for bankers at every level, and your single per-bank registration can cover:
- CEO and senior leadership
- Operations
- IT
- Risk management and compliance
- Human resources and learning and development
- Marketing and sales
- Lending
- AI advocates and emerging leaders ready to lead AI initiatives
- Anyone who wants to understand how to apply AI in their role or organization
Admission Requirements
Admission to the AI Innovation Series is by online application. The series is designed for bank employees in every functional area who want a deeper understanding of how to use AI at their bank.
- Bank employees: Employees of banks in any department or role.
- Regulators and bank directors: State and federal financial regulators and bank directors with education and experience comparable to bank officers, considered case by case.
- Professionals who serve banks: Professionals at fintech companies and other firms that provide services to banks, considered case by case.
International bankers are welcome and are considered based on education and experience.
As a matter of policy, the Graduate School of Banking does not discriminate among applicants and participants on the basis of race, religion, sex, national origin, color, handicap, orientation or marital status.
Banking Education From Madison, Wisconsin, Delivered to Your Bank
The AI Innovation Series brings the Graduate School of Banking’s standard of excellence in banking education straight to your institution. Based in Madison, Wisconsin, and offered through GSB’s partnership with the University of Wisconsin–Madison, GSB has helped banking professionals grow for decades. Now your whole team can take part without leaving the office.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tuition is $2,270 per bank, which allows anyone at your bank to join the live sessions and watch the recordings. A $350 registration fee is due when you apply. Tuition includes all instructional materials, six months of bank-wide access to recorded sessions and access to an alumni-only LinkedIn group.
The series is built around practical AI automation for banks of every size, from community banks to regional and larger financial institutions, with examples you can apply without a large in-house data science team. It is designed for anyone looking for practical AI training for employees and executives.
As many as you like. One registration covers your entire bank, so employees across every department can join the live sessions from a single connection and watch the recordings for six months after the series ends.
The series is held entirely online through live, two-hour virtual sessions January 11–15, 2027. No travel to Madison is required.
Every session is recorded. Your bank has unlimited access to the recordings for six months after the series ends.
No. The series opens with foundational AI education for all attendees and builds toward advanced applications such as AI agents and banking automation, so it works for beginners and experienced users alike.
The AI Innovation Series is a focused, five-day virtual program on AI in banking for your whole team. The 25-month Graduate School of Banking program is graduate-level executive education that develops individual bankers across every major bank function through three residential summer sessions in Madison.
The enrollment deadline is January 4, 2027. Applying early gives your bank time to decide who will participate and plan around the live sessions.
The $350 registration fee is non-refundable and non-transferable. If you cancel 15 to 45 days before the series starts, you receive a 90% refund of other fees, or 75% with 8 to 14 days’ notice. Cancellations within 7 days of the start date are not refunded. You can also keep paid fees on account to use at any GSB school within 24 months.
Continue Building Your Bank’s Digital Expertise
Pair the AI Innovation Series with GSB schools that deepen your team’s expertise in digital banking, technology and cybersecurity.
