# Santander US: AI strategy and technology vision

Source: https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/santander-us/ai-strategy
Last updated: Oct 16, 2026

*Part of the [Santander US AI strategy profile](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/santander-us).*

## What is Santander's AI strategy in the United States?

Santander's AI strategy is set by the group and lands in the US through Openbank and the Webster acquisition. At the February 25, 2026 Investor Day the group made data and AI 'a key lever of ONE Transformation', focused on hyper-personalized customer journeys, AI-powered frontline productivity and end-to-end process automation, and said it expects more than €1 billion of business value a year from data and AI by 2028; Bloomberg reported executive chair Ana Botín's split of about €300 million of revenue and €700 million of cost. Results so far are group figures: €35 million of AI business value in the first quarter of 2026 and €84 million in the first half, AI access for all 185,000 employees from June 22, 2026, more than 280 process-automation agents in production, and 40% of June's code written by AI. The US target is an 18% return on tangible equity by 2028 after the $12.3 billion Webster deal closed on August 20, 2026, with a core conversion by the end of 2027. US-specific AI disclosure is thin: Santander Holdings USA's 2025 10-K says it uses AI to improve customer experience and reduce operational risk, and CEO Christiana Riley says she builds tools with AI herself. No US AI budget or head of AI is named. ([Banco Santander](https://santander.com/en/press-room/press-releases/2026/02/2026-santander-investor-day), [Bloomberg](https://bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-25/santander-s-botin-sees-1-billion-ai-boost-amid-efficiency-push), [Banco Santander](https://www.santander.com/en/stories/santander-turns-its-ai-first-strategy-into-measurable-impact-and-extends-ai-access-to-all-185000-employees), [Banco Santander](https://santander.com/en/press-room/press-releases/2026/07/q2-2026-santander-bank-results), [American Banker](https://www.americanbanker.com/news/how-santander-plans-to-avoid-u-s-graveyard-for-european-banks), [Business Wire via FT Markets](https://markets.ft.com/data/announce/full?dockey=600-202608200334BIZWIRE_USPRX____20260820_BW118649-1), [American Banker](https://americanbanker.com/news/with-webster-in-hand-santander-says-its-poised-for-growth), [Santander Holdings USA (SEC filings)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/811830/000081183026000005/sov-20251231.htm), [American Banker](https://www.americanbanker.com/news/2026-the-most-powerful-women-in-banking-women-to-watch-1-christiana-riley-santander-u-s))

## What AI targets has Santander set, and what has it reported?

Group figures unless the row says US. Business value is Santander's measure of higher revenue, lower costs and lower loan-loss provisions from AI.

| Item | Value | Scope | As of | Sources |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| AI business value target | More than €1 billion a year by 2028 from data and AI, about 1 percentage point of cost-to-income improvement | Group | February 25, 2026 | [Banco Santander](https://santander.com/en/press-room/press-releases/2026/02/2026-santander-investor-day) |
| Revenue and cost split (as reported) | About €300 million of revenue and €700 million of lower costs by 2028 | Group | February 25, 2026 | [Bloomberg](https://bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-25/santander-s-botin-sees-1-billion-ai-boost-amid-efficiency-push) |
| AI business value, Q1 2026 | €35 million; 'on track to exceed €200 million by year-end' | Group | June 22, 2026 | [Banco Santander](https://www.santander.com/en/stories/santander-turns-its-ai-first-strategy-into-measurable-impact-and-extends-ai-access-to-all-185000-employees) |
| AI business value, first half 2026 | €84 million, through customer service, productivity and commercial growth | Group | July 22, 2026 | [Banco Santander](https://santander.com/en/press-room/press-releases/2026/07/q2-2026-santander-bank-results) |
| Process-automation agents in production | More than 280 (credit, fraud, KYC, operations) | Group | June 22, 2026 | [Banco Santander](https://www.santander.com/en/stories/santander-turns-its-ai-first-strategy-into-measurable-impact-and-extends-ai-access-to-all-185000-employees) |
| AI access | All 185,000 employees (nearly 40,000 active users before) | Group | June 22, 2026 | [Banco Santander](https://www.santander.com/en/stories/santander-turns-its-ai-first-strategy-into-measurable-impact-and-extends-ai-access-to-all-185000-employees) |
| AI training | About 35,000 employees received more than 125,000 hours of AI training between 2025 and April 2026; a global AI community of more than 42,000; 600-plus 'AI Catalysts' | Group | June 9, 2026 | [Banco Santander](https://santander.com/en/stories/ai-at-santander-from-learning-to-practical-use) |
| US return on tangible equity | About 18% by 2028 (10% in 2025) | US | February 25, 2026 | [Banco Santander](https://santander.com/en/press-room/press-releases/2026/02/2026-santander-investor-day), [American Banker](https://www.americanbanker.com/news/how-santander-plans-to-avoid-u-s-graveyard-for-european-banks) |
| US segment profit, Q2 2026 | €989 million, up 26%; RoTE 13.2%; efficiency 45.8% | US | July 22, 2026 | [Investing.com](https://ca.investing.com/news/transcripts/earnings-call-transcript-santander-posts-record-q2-2026-profit-shares-rise-premarket-93CH-4745713) |
| Webster integration savings | $800 million by end-2028, mainly from merging technology platforms and back-office roles; core conversion by end-2027 | US | August 20, 2026 | [American Banker](https://americanbanker.com/news/with-webster-in-hand-santander-says-its-poised-for-growth) |

## Which parts of Santander's AI strategy apply to the US business?

| Lever | What it is | US status | Date | Sources |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Openbank | Digital bank on Santander's own Gravity core and ODS interface, the group's first combination of the two | More than $10 billion of US deposits | October 1, 2026 | [Banco Santander](https://www.santander.com/en/press-room/specials/openbank-us-milestone-in-santander-transformation), [American Banker](https://www.americanbanker.com/news/2026-the-most-powerful-women-in-banking-women-to-watch-1-christiana-riley-santander-u-s) |
| Webster acquisition | Top-20 US bank with nearly eight million customers; John Ciulla runs Santander Bank, N.A. | Closed | August 20, 2026 | [Business Wire via FT Markets](https://markets.ft.com/data/announce/full?dockey=600-202608200334BIZWIRE_USPRX____20260820_BW118649-1) |
| AI tools for staff | Microsoft Copilot for everyday productivity; ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini for specialized capabilities | Group-wide; US usage not broken out | June 22, 2026 | [Banco Santander](https://www.santander.com/en/stories/santander-turns-its-ai-first-strategy-into-measurable-impact-and-extends-ai-access-to-all-185000-employees) |
| Agentic commerce | Getnet accepting AI-agent payments; Mastercard pilot in Europe; Visa pilots in Latin America | No US pilot public | 2026 | [PYMNTS](https://www.pymnts.com/news/b2b-payments/2026/santanders-getnet-plugs-merchants-into-agentic-commerce/), [Banco Santander](https://www.santander.com/en/press-room/press-releases/2026/03/santander-and-mastercard-complete-europes-first-live-end-to-end-payment-executed-by-an-ai-agent), [PYMNTS](https://pymnts.com/partnerships/2026/santander-and-visa-launch-latam-agentic-payments-project) |
| Machine-learning credit risk | Auto credit models rebuilt on FICO Platform; 2025 FICO Decisions Award | In production in US auto | May 7, 2025 | [FICO (Business Wire)](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250507284930/en) |
| Executive use | Riley says AI lets her build a custom CRM tool herself for the Webster integration | US | October 1, 2026 | [American Banker](https://www.americanbanker.com/news/2026-the-most-powerful-women-in-banking-women-to-watch-1-christiana-riley-santander-u-s) |

## What does Santander not disclose about AI in the US?

Santander Holdings USA's 2025 10-K says it uses AI, 'including AI designed to improve the customer experience and reduce operational risk', and lists model, data and third-party-provider risks; its first- and second-quarter 2026 10-Qs do not mention AI. Targets, counts and business-value figures appear only in group materials. ([Santander Holdings USA (SEC filings)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/811830/000081183026000005/sov-20251231.htm), [Santander Holdings USA (SEC filings)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/811830/000081183026000015/sov-20260331.htm), [Santander Holdings USA (SEC filings)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/811830/000081183026000029/sov-20260630.htm))

No US head of AI or chief data officer is named. AI is led from Madrid by Chief Data & AI Officer Ricardo Martín Manjón, with Iñaki Bernal named Chief AI Officer of Grupo Santander in June 2026; in the US, COO Luis Massiani oversees Technology & Operations and Vikram Nafde is CTO. ([Banco Santander](https://santander.com/en/our-approach/data-and-ai), [Banco Santander](https://santander.com/en/press-room/press-releases/2026/06/santander-and-the-csic-join-forces-to-spearhead-research-into-advanced-and-responsible-ai-for-the-future-of-banking), [Banco Santander (SEC filings)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/801337/000095010326006412/dp245911_425.htm))

Santander US's public AI voice is consumer research: nine in ten middle-income households see AI helping their finances, and 49% of middle-income online car shoppers used AI to understand financing options, per its January 2026 survey. ([Santander US](https://santanderus.com/news_press_article/santander-us-finds-middle-income-americans-optimistic-about-finances-see-benefits-of-ai-for-car-buying-and-managing-finances))

## What does the Santander profile record on this topic?

| Date | Move | Detail | Sources |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Riley: AI lets her 'vibe code' a CRM tool herself | The US CEO says AI collapses the old technology development funnel, describing how she personally built a custom CRM tool with AI to help smooth the Webster integration. | [American Banker](https://www.americanbanker.com/news/2026-the-most-powerful-women-in-banking-women-to-watch-1-christiana-riley-santander-u-s) |
| Jul 22, 2026 | Q2 results: US profit up 26% | Group underlying profit €3.8 billion; the US segment earned €989 million with RoTE of 13.2%; Grisi cites ONE Transformation and early AI benefits. | [Investing.com](https://ca.investing.com/news/transcripts/earnings-call-transcript-santander-posts-record-q2-2026-profit-shares-rise-premarket-93CH-4745713), [PYMNTS](https://pymnts.com/earnings/2026/santander-consolidates-global-tech-platforms-drive-record-profits) |
| Jun 22, 2026 | AI tools for all employees | Toward the €1 billion 2026–2028 business-value goal. | [PYMNTS](https://www.pymnts.com/news/artificial-intelligence/2026/santander-equips-all-workers-with-ai-and-seeks-1-15-billion-business-value/) |
| Feb 25, 2026 | €1 billion from AI by 2028 | Investor day: €300 million revenue, €700 million costs; profit above €20 billion; US RoTE 18%. | [Bloomberg](https://bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-25/santander-s-botin-sees-1-billion-ai-boost-amid-efficiency-push), [PYMNTS](https://pymnts.com/news/banking/2026/santander-looks-to-ai-for-digital-transformation), [American Banker](https://www.americanbanker.com/news/how-santander-plans-to-avoid-u-s-graveyard-for-european-banks) |

## Common questions

### How much does Santander expect to gain from AI?

At its February 25, 2026 Investor Day the group said it expects more than €1 billion of business value a year from data and AI by 2028, about 1 percentage point of cost-to-income improvement; Bloomberg reported Ana Botín's split of about €300 million of revenue and €700 million of cost. It reported €35 million in the first quarter of 2026 and €84 million in the first half.

### Does Santander US have its own AI strategy?

Not a separate published one. The US business runs inside the group's ONE Transformation programme and Data & AI-first strategy. US-specific elements are Openbank, built on Santander's Gravity platform, the Webster integration with a core conversion by the end of 2027, machine-learning credit models in auto on FICO Platform, and an 18% RoTE target for 2028.

### Do Santander US employees use AI tools?

The group extended AI access to all 185,000 employees on June 22, 2026, with Microsoft Copilot for everyday productivity and ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini for specialized work, but it does not break out US usage. US CEO Christiana Riley has said she personally builds a CRM tool with AI to help the Webster integration.

### What does Santander US say about AI in its SEC filings?

Santander Holdings USA's 2025 10-K, filed March 2, 2026, says it uses and explores AI, including to improve customer experience and reduce operational risk, and warns of flawed or biased models, third-party model concentration and AI-enabled cyberattacks. The 2026 10-Qs contain no AI language.

### Who leads AI for Santander in the US?

No US AI executive is named. Group Chief Data & AI Officer Ricardo Martín Manjón and Chief AI Officer Iñaki Bernal lead AI from Madrid. In the US, CEO Christiana Riley sets direction, COO Luis Massiani oversees Technology & Operations and Vikram Nafde is CTO; John Ciulla runs Santander Bank, N.A.
## Deeper on Santander

- [What AI research, patents and partnerships does Santander have?](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/santander-us/ai-research-patents-partnerships)
- [How does Santander govern AI responsibly?](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/santander-us/responsible-ai)
- [What technology stack does Santander run in the United States?](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/santander-us/technology-stack)


---

Canonical page: https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/santander-us/ai-strategy
Part of [BankingNewsAI](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/) — a free daily brief on AI in banking, an AI regulation tracker (42 authorities, 243 documents) and AI-strategy profiles of the 120 largest US banks. Markdown versions of every reference page: append `.md` to the page URL; index at https://www.bankingnewsai.com/llms.txt.