Citi Launches Mandatory AI Training for 175,000 Staff in Massive Upskilling Push

Banking giant Citigroup has launched a massive and mandatory new training program to upskill 175,000 of its employees in artificial intelligence, a clear signal that the race to integrate AI into the core of the financial industry is rapidly accelerating.

The global initiative, announced Monday morning, is one of the largest workforce upskilling efforts in the banking sector to date. It underscores a fundamental belief within the company's leadership: that a deep, practical understanding of AI is no longer a niche skill for technologists, but a core competency required for every role in modern finance.

"AI Literacy for All"
The training program is not just for developers or data scientists. According to the announcement, the curriculum will be tailored to different roles within the bank, from investment bankers and risk managers to customer service agents and HR professionals.

The core goal is to establish a baseline of "AI literacy" across the entire organization. The program will cover:

Foundations of AI: A basic understanding of different AI technologies, including generative AI, machine learning, and natural language processing.

Practical Applications: Training on how to use Citi's new suite of internal AI tools to automate tasks, analyze data, and generate insights relevant to specific job functions.

Ethics and Responsible AI: A critical component of the curriculum will focus on the ethical implications of using AI in finance, including data privacy, algorithmic bias, and responsible deployment.

A Strategic Imperative
Citi's leadership is framing the initiative not as a cost, but as a critical strategic investment in the future of the bank.

"The AI revolution is transforming our industry at an unprecedented pace," a senior Citi executive stated in an internal memo. "To win in this new environment, we must empower our people with the skills and tools they need to innovate and lead. This is not about replacing our employees with AI; it's about augmenting their expertise and making them more effective."

The move is part of a broader trend across the financial services industry. As banks look to AI to boost productivity, enhance risk management, and deliver more personalized services to clients, they are realizing that technology alone is not enough. The real challenge—and opportunity—lies in upskilling their vast human workforces to work collaboratively with these new intelligent systems.

With this massive training mandate, Citi is making a powerful bet that its most valuable asset in the AI era is not its algorithms, but its people.