The Commonwealth Bank has launched a national technology skills initiative targeting one million small business customers, with a focus on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and wider digital capabilities.
The bank said it will collaborate with OpenAI on AI learning resources and masterclasses as part of the program. The initiative includes business masterclasses covering AI, cybersecurity and digital capabilities.
The Commonwealth Bank positioned the move as a response to the skills and time gap among small business owners and the slow pace of AI adoption across the segment.
“Small businesses are the backbone of Australia’s economy, but many say they don’t have the time or resources to explore how technologies such as AI can help them,” Commonwealth Bank of Australia chief executive Matt Kamin said.
Introduction of AI
The Commonwealth Bank cited findings from the Australian Council of Small Business Associations Small Business Outlook Report 2025. The report found that 48% of Australian businesses are not currently using AI, and 14% have integrated AI into their operations and services.
The bank is focusing this effort on real-world use cases. Examples include cafe owners using AI to plan menus, retailers automating day-to-day customer insights, and sole traders using AI for proposal and invoicing.
The Commonwealth Bank has also emphasized cyber skills as part of its plan. This combined elements of cybersecurity with the increasing digitalization of small and medium-sized business operations and customer engagement.
“We want all small and medium-sized businesses to be able to use digital technologies like AI with confidence, whether they are starting, running or growing their business. This also means helping them build strong cyber skills to protect their data, customers and operations as they go digital,” said Comyn.
Role of OpenAI
The initiative includes AI learning resources and masterclasses developed jointly by Commonwealth Bank and OpenAI. The Commonwealth Bank says the content will cover the basics of AI, productivity, automation and responsible use.
OpenAI said Australian businesses were already using its products in their daily operations and that it would now present AI as a baseline technology for small and medium-sized businesses.
“Thousands of Australian businesses are already using ChatGPT to improve efficiency and customer service,” said OpenAI Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon. “AI will become as essential to small and medium-sized businesses as the internet and mobile banking.”
Industry reaction
The Australian Council of Small Business Associations welcomed the initiative. The group linked the implementation of AI to the productivity and competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises.
“Small businesses are natural innovators and want to leverage AI to save time, increase productivity and stay competitive. With the right practical support, the benefits to productivity, competitiveness and the economy as a whole are enormous,” said Matthew Addison, Chairman of the Australian Council of Small Business Associations.
Internal development
The bank said the small business program follows its internal rollout of ChatGPT Enterprise. The company describes the move as one of the largest developments of its kind in the global financial services sector.
Commonwealth Bank announced it is partnering with OpenAI to deploy ChatGPT Enterprise to approximately 50,000 employees. The goal is to make AI part of daily operations rather than limited pilots.
The bank explained that it focuses on security, consistency and familiarity. As part of its approach, connectors, training, leadership role modeling, and practical programs are listed, including forums, routines, and internal experiments.
The Commonwealth Bank said it plans to embed AI into daily workflows. He also pointed to future “agent-enabled use cases” related to customer experience, such as customer service and fraud and fraud response.
“When we wanted organizations to use a very high-quality product with true consistency, we chose OpenAI to help us translate that functionality into better outcomes for our customers,” said Commonwealth Bank of Australia Chief Executive Officer Matt Cumin.
