Customers Bank, a subsidiary of Customers Bancorp Inc. (NYSE: CUBI), announced a multiyear strategic collaboration with OpenAI to deploy artificial intelligence across its commercial banking operations. The bank, which holds nearly $26 billion in assets, aims to become one of the first AI-enabled regional banks in the United States.

The collaboration expands an existing relationship that began in 2023 when Customers Bank adopted ChatGPT Enterprise. According to the bank, 75% of its team members currently use OpenAI-powered tools.

"We expect a fundamental re-engineering of how Customers Bank operates," said Sam Sidhu, President and CEO of Customers Bancorp. "By the end of 2026, our bankers will spend more of their time on the work that creates value for clients and our shareholders."

The partnership involves direct engagement with OpenAI's technical teams to build custom AI capabilities rather than using off-the-shelf solutions. The bank will focus AI deployment across three core areas: lending, deposits, and payments.

In lending, AI will handle document collection, credit memoranda preparation, and portfolio monitoring. For deposits, AI will streamline digital onboarding and account setup processes. The payments division will integrate AI into cubiX, the bank's proprietary payments platform that processes $2 trillion in transactions.

All AI capabilities will operate within the bank's secure infrastructure with data governance and risk management controls, according to the announcement. The bank stated that AI deployment is already in production and advancing rapidly.

Customers Bancorp ranks among the 80 largest bank holding companies in the United States. American Banker named it a Top 10 Performing Bank for five consecutive years from 2021-2025, including the top spot among midsize banks in 2024.