Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) is committed to leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) in every part of its business, moving from just using AI as a tool to deploying AI agents to work alongside its employees.
In doing so, the Japanese banking giant aims to become an AI-native company. This vision was stated by Emi Morito, head of digital strategy at MUFG, at the MUFG Fintech Festival in Singapore, where she discussed the progress of the bank’s AI efforts.
Although MUFG has introduced AI tools to all its employees, Emi says only half of them use these tools regularly. To address this gap and prepare for the future, MUFG is not only ramping up its efforts to accelerate AI adoption within the company, but also paving the way for agent-based AI.
“We are entering the era of AI agents, where AI is moving from being just a tool to taking on an actual role as a digital employee working alongside humans,” Emi said. “The most important thing is how you use your own data.”
To realize its vision, MUFG is focused on three key priorities: It’s about strengthening your data strategy by training company-wide AI, building an architecture for AI agents to operate effectively and securely, and reshaping your business model to make it easier for AI agents to access data.
In July 2025, MUFG launched the “Hello AI @ MUFG” campaign to promote AI as a core part of its corporate culture. More than 6,000 employees participated in the campaign’s first event. In this event, staff compete to create the most effective instructions for the generative AI.
A key part of MUFG’s efforts to build AI capabilities is working with top AI technology suppliers. In October 2024, the company partnered with OpenAI to provide its employees with access to ChatGPT Enterprise. OpenAI also helps you develop advanced AI use cases and provides dedicated support.
Following this, in May 2025, it signed a three-year contract with Sakana AI, a famous Japanese AI startup that became a unicorn in less than a year, for decision support. Their first joint project is to develop an AI loan expert that can provide better recommendations and learn from feedback provided by human bankers.
Meanwhile, the bank is embedding AI directly into its operations, with around 60 advanced use cases underway that are expected to save around 3 million labor hours annually.
One example is AI tools that automatically generate recommendations for business customers, freeing up bankers to focus on more customer-facing tasks. Another example is merger and acquisition matching, which uses AI to find potential acquisition targets that human analysts might miss.
The company’s trust banking division also uses AI document readers to extract information from complex legal and financial documents, saving thousands of hours of work each year. It also aims to triple the number of small business loans it services online by fiscal year 2026 by leveraging AI for credit analysis.
Ultimately, Emi said MUFG’s AI strategy is not about replacing human workers. “We believe the most powerful combination is neither humans nor AI, but humans and AI learning alongside each other.”
MUFG’s Digital Strategy Department was established in April 2025 to drive digital transformation, including the use of AI, across the business. The unit is building local digital teams in the US and other parts of Asia, as well as working with companies such as ride-hailing giant Grab, which it has invested in through MUFG’s venture capital arm.
