Citi Mandates AI Prompt Training for 175,000 Employees, Signaling a New Era in Banking

Citi's Ambitious AI Training Initiative

Citi, one of the world's largest banks, has launched a mandatory AI training program for its global workforce of 175,000 employees across 80 locations. The initiative, announced in an internal memo, focuses on teaching employees how to write better prompts for the bank's generative AI programs 1

1

. This move underscores the growing importance of AI literacy in the financial sector and highlights Citi's commitment to integrating AI into its daily operations.

The Importance of 'Great Prompting'

Peter Fox, head of learning at Citi, emphasized that the training is designed to teach employees "the possibilities of great prompting versus basic prompting to generate impactful results" 1

1

. The program uses an adaptive learning platform that tailors the training based on an employee's knowledge level, allowing experts to complete it in under 10 minutes while beginners may take about 30 minutes.

Widespread AI Adoption at Citi

The internal memo revealed that Citi employees have already entered more than 6.5 million prompts into the bank's built-in AI tools this year 2

2

. This high level of engagement demonstrates the rapid adoption of AI technology within the organization. Tim Ryan, Citi's head of technology and business enablement, and Anand Selva, the bank's chief operating officer, stated that AI is "turning work that once took hours into tasks done in minutes" 1

1

.

Industry-wide Trend in AI Training

Citi's initiative is part of a broader trend in the financial industry. Other major banks have also invested heavily in AI training:

• JPMorgan has made AI training, including prompt engineering, mandatory for all new employees since 2024 1

  1

  .
• Bank of America reported that over 90% of its 213,000 global employees use AI tools in their daily work 1

  1

  .
• Wells Fargo trained 4,000 employees in Stanford's Human-Centered AI program 2

  2

  .

Implications for the Future of Work

Experts suggest that this widespread adoption of AI training represents a significant cultural shift in banking and other white-collar industries. Christina Muller, a workplace mental health expert, emphasized the importance of framing AI as a "co-pilot" rather than a replacement for human workers 1

1

.

Challenges and Considerations

While mandatory AI training is a crucial first step, some experts caution that it alone may not be sufficient for meaningful transformation. Gary Lamach, SVP of strategy and growth at ELB Learning, warned against treating AI implementation as a "box to check" and stressed the need for continuous upskilling and purposeful use of AI tools 1

1

.

As the financial industry continues to evolve with AI integration, Citi's ambitious training program sets a precedent for how large corporations can prepare their workforce for the future of AI-assisted work.