Bank of Mitsubishi UFJ announced on November 12 that it has reached a strategic cooperation agreement with US OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT as a standard in digital banks launched in the second half of fiscal year 2026 to comprehensively improve operational efficiency and customer experience. This is the first company in Japan to announce generative AI as a standard feature in an official app. MUFG also plans to become the first Japanese company to connect with the “Apps in ChatGPT” function launched by OpenAI in October. In the future, users can directly access MUFG Group apps in ChatGPT to achieve integrated services such as family financial management and asset consulting. Starting in January 2026, MUFG will gradually introduce the corporate version of ChatGPT, enabling approximately 35,000 employees of its banks to fully use AI in their daily work to improve the efficiency of document writing, research and analysis, and customer service. The Group also plans to increase the number of AI professionals from 135 in FY2024 to over 350 in FY2026. MUFG Managing Executive Director Tadashi Yamamoto said, “We hope to co-create a new customer experience for retail finance with OpenAI, and eventually develop it into Japan's first AI-native digital bank.” AI competition in the financial industry is intensifying. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group has hired the former president of Microsoft Asia as an advisor, while Mizuho Financial Group has established a comprehensive AI alliance with SoftBank. OpenAI's representative in Japan, Tadao Nagasaki, said he hopes to “show the world the future of AI maximizing human potential from Japan.” MUFG and OpenAI have launched pilot cooperation on generative AI financial applications since October 2024. The signing of this agreement marks that both parties have entered the full practical application stage.

Bank of Mitsubishi UFJ announced on November 12 that it has reached a strategic cooperation agreement with US OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT as a standard in digital banks launched in the second half of fiscal year 2026 to comprehensively improve operational efficiency and customer experience. This is the first company in Japan to announce generative AI as a standard feature in an official app. MUFG also plans to become the first Japanese company to connect with the “Apps in ChatGPT” function launched by OpenAI in October. In the future, users can directly access MUFG Group apps in ChatGPT to achieve integrated services such as family financial management and asset consulting. Starting in January 2026, MUFG will gradually introduce the corporate version of ChatGPT, enabling approximately 35,000 employees of its banks to fully use AI in their daily work to improve the efficiency of document writing, research and analysis, and customer service. The Group also plans to increase the number of AI professionals from 135 in FY2024 to over 350 in FY2026. MUFG Managing Executive Director Tadashi Yamamoto said, “We hope to co-create a new customer experience for retail finance with OpenAI, and eventually develop it into Japan's first AI-native digital bank.” AI competition in the financial industry is intensifying. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group has hired the former president of Microsoft Asia as an advisor, while Mizuho Financial Group has established a comprehensive AI alliance with SoftBank. OpenAI's representative in Japan, Tadao Nagasaki, said he hopes to “show the world the future of AI maximizing human potential from Japan.” MUFG and OpenAI have launched pilot cooperation on generative AI financial applications since October 2024. The signing of this agreement marks that both parties have entered the full practical application stage.