How is UBS training and staffing its workforce for AI?
UBS runs AI training as a group-wide program with tracked numbers. More than 38,000 employees have completed AI learning journeys, more than 49,000 have enrolled in AI online courses since 2024, and by July 2026 more than 21,000 (28% of employees) had earned the AI Citizen badge while more than 96% of managers had completed the first AI Enabler stages; about 1,300 senior leaders, including the Group Executive Board, have done an AI Senior Leadership Journey, which began with about 250 leaders at Oxford Saïd in late 2025. An AI Power Hour, launched in 2026, reserves one hour a week for AI skills. Adoption is pushed by a network of more than 500 AI Champions and 100 AI Ambassadors (July 2025) and by internal AI Kettle challenges with 800 to 1,000-plus participants. About 18,000 developers use AI in software delivery (July 2026). On hiring, the FT reported in September 2026 that UBS wants its 2027 junior bankers to show AI proficiency. Departures matter too: the technology chief Mike Dargan left for N26 in December 2025 and global banking AI lab head Ronald Jansen left for JPMorgan in February 2026. None of these figures is broken out for UBS in the US.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]
Data as of Oct 16, 2026 · UBS profile updated Oct 13, 2026 · 15 sources cited on this page · 140 banks profiled on this site · Markdown
What AI training does UBS give its employees, and how many have done it?
Group figures UBS publishes on its innovation and AI page and in results releases. The US share is not disclosed.
| Program | Who | Reach | As of |
|---|---|---|---|
| Responsible-AI training | All employees, annually; extra training for specialists | Mandatory | Described 2026[1] |
| AI Citizen and AI Enabler learning journeys | All employees; managers | 38,000-plus completed learning journeys; 21,000-plus AI Citizen badges (28% of employees); 96%-plus of managers through initial AI Enabler stages | July 2026[1] |
| Online AI courses and Global Learning Weeks | All employees | 49,000-plus enrolled since 2024; 2026 Global Learning Weeks had 56 AI sessions, 45,000-plus enrollments and 12,000 in role-specific AI training | 2026[1] |
| AI Senior Leadership Journey | Senior leaders including the Group Executive Board | About 250 at Oxford Saïd in late 2025; about 1,300 completed in total | October 2025; 2026[3][1] |
| AI Builder (Certified Engineers program) | Technical staff | Certified Engineers program enrolls over 19,000; 10-badge AI Builder pathway being established, including custom AI agents and responsible AI | 2026[1] |
| AI Power Hour | All employees | One hour a week reserved for AI skills | Launched by July 2026[4] |
How does UBS spread AI adoption across its staff?
Dated from UBS's releases and its own careers stories.
| Item | What it is | Date |
|---|---|---|
| AI Champions and Ambassadors | More than 500 AI Champions and 100 AI Ambassadors to support adoption | July 2025[2] |
| AI Kettle | Internal AI competitions: 2024 FX challenge with 800 participants from 15 countries and nearly 300 solutions; 2025 agentic AI challenge with 1,000 participants in its first 10 days; run two to three times a year | September 2025[5] |
| Employee-built agents | All employees can now create their own AI agents | July 2026[4] |
| US advisor adoption | Field staff sitting with advisors ('hand-to-hand combat') worked better than announcing tools, per Joe Cordeira | September 2026[9] |
Whom has UBS hired for AI, and who has left?
The headline hire was Daniele Magazzeni, JPMorgan's chief analytics officer for EMEA and the commercial and investment bank, as first chief AI officer from January 1, 2026. For new entrants, the Financial Times reported in September 2026 that UBS will require its 2027 junior bankers to show AI proficiency.[10][11][6]
Two departures hit the AI chain of command. Mike Dargan, the group chief operations and technology officer the new CAIO was to report to, left to become CEO of N26, announced December 16, 2025. Ronald Jansen, an MD and global head of the AI lab in UBS's global banking division for seven years, joined JPMorgan as head of AI for HR and employee experience in February 2026.[7][12][8]
Not disclosed: UBS's total AI or data headcount, AI-attributed job reductions, or a US-specific training or hiring figure.[1][4]
What does the UBS profile record on this topic?
The rows below are the entries of the UBS AI strategy profile that bear on this page, as of Oct 13, 2026; the profile holds the full record of 28 dated moves, 14 use cases and 35 sources.
| Use case | What the record shows | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI-assisted software development | About 18,000 developers use AI across code generation, explanation, test automation and requirements; over a quarter of AI suggestions go straight into production code. | In production | [4][13] |
| Employee-built AI agents | All employees can now create their own agents; an AI Power Hour reserves one hour a week for skills building. | Rolling out | [4] |
| Date | Move | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 6, 2026 | AI proficiency required of new junior bankers | The FT reports UBS demanding AI skills from its 2027 intake. | [6] |
| Jul 29, 2026 | Second quarter: 560 live use cases and a US AI award | UBS reports 560 live use cases, 920-plus in development, about 18,000 developers using AI and all employees able to build agents; its US flagship platform for AI-generated insights wins Celent's 2026 Model Wealth Manager award for Data, Analytics and AI. | [4] |
| Feb 4, 2026 | 'Large-scale transformational AI programs' | Ermotti on redesigning front- and back-office processes; the global banking AI lab head leaves for JPMorgan. | [14] |
| Dec 16, 2025 | Dargan leaves to run N26 | The technology chief to whom the CAIO was to report departs. | [7][12] |
| Oct 24, 2025 | Executive board reshaped around technology | Dargan to become group CTO from January 2026 with AI and digital assets in his remit. | [15] |
| Apr 10, 2025 | AI executive joins the board | Shareholders elect Lila Tretikov, a partner at New Enterprise Associates and former Deputy CTO of Microsoft, to the UBS Board of Directors at the annual general meeting. | [13] |
How many UBS employees have been trained in AI?
UBS says more than 38,000 employees have completed AI learning journeys, more than 49,000 have enrolled in AI online courses since 2024, and by July 2026 more than 21,000, or 28% of employees, held the AI Citizen badge. Responsible-AI training is mandatory for all employees every year. UBS does not split these figures by country.
What are UBS AI Champions?
Employees who support AI adoption in their teams. UBS reported more than 500 AI Champions and 100 AI Ambassadors in its second-quarter 2025 results, describing them as part of an ecosystem built to support adoption of its AI capabilities and a culture of continuous learning. It has not published a later count in its results releases.
Does UBS require AI skills from new hires?
For junior bankers, yes: the Financial Times reported in September 2026 that UBS demands AI proficiency from its 2027 intake. For existing technical staff, UBS is building a 10-badge AI Builder pathway into its Certified Engineers program, which enrolls more than 19,000 employees.
Who left UBS's AI leadership?
Mike Dargan, group chief operations and technology officer and the executive to whom the new chief AI officer was due to report, left to run N26 (announced December 2025). Ronald Jansen, global head of the AI lab in global banking, left for JPMorgan in February 2026. Group Technology and the Chief AI Office now sit under Group COO Beatriz Martin.
What is UBS AI Kettle?
An internal AI competition program started in 2024 by the Investment Bank's Global Markets business and Group Emerging Technology. The first challenge drew 800 participants from 15 countries and nearly 300 solutions for the FX business; the 2025 agentic AI challenge had 1,000 participants within 10 days. UBS now runs two to three a year.
- Innovation and AI at UBS (undated page, retrieved 2026-10-13)
- UBS reports 2Q25 net profit of USD 2.4bn and USD 4.1bn for 1H25 with integration remaining on track
- UBS reports strong results in 3Q25 with continued progress on integration
- UBS reports 2Q26 net profit of USD 2.8bn and USD 5.8bn for 1H26 (Business Wire)
- Our AI Kettle is ready to boil
- UBS demands new junior bankers show AI proficiency
- Neobank N26 hires UBS exec as next CEO
- JPMorgan hired the head of UBS' AI lab to assess employee performance
- Being AI-Native: It's Easier Said Than Done (Joe Cordeira, UBS, at Next Endeavor)
- UBS appoints Chief AI Officer to drive its AI strategy
- UBS hires JP Morgan analytics chief Daniele Magazzeni to lead AI strategy
- Tech executive departs UBS to become CEO of N26
- UBS Group AG Annual Report 2025 on Form 20-F
- UBS deploys AI programs to unlock efficiency
- UBS revamps leadership with tech, AI in mind
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