NAB has handed 40,000 staff an AI called Ruby, a bit like issuing everyone the same toolbox instead of hoping they bring their own
By Brett Gavaghan, Founder of Adaptd ·
NAB has deployed Ruby, an internal AI tool built on an Anthropic platform, and set up about 50 squads to work on specific uses such as faster credit memos.
The short version
- NAB has deployed Ruby, an internal AI tool built on an Anthropic platform, to more than 40,000 staff.
- About 50 cross-divisional squads are working on further uses, and NAB reports business loan approvals taking 20% less time.
- Smaller businesses can copy the method: choose one approved tool, then list the jobs that matter most.
Plenty of businesses have an AI strategy that amounts to everyone quietly using whatever they signed up for. NAB has gone the other way, and it picked a name that sounds like she'd remember your birthday.
What is NAB's Ruby?
Ruby is NAB's internal AI tool, built on an Anthropic platform and available to more than 40,000 staff for personal productivity. CEO Andrew Irvine revealed it on a media call with the bank's FY26 results, iTnews reports.
NAB has also set up about 50 business-led squads, working with partners including Anthropic and AWS, on one AI platform. Irvine's example was helping business bankers write credit memos faster.
What has NAB got out of it so far?
NAB reports a 20% cut in the time needed to approve business loans, credited to agentic AI, and an 18% improvement in its change delivery cycle. Those are the bank's own figures, and iTnews notes that unlike its Big 4 rivals, NAB didn't put a dollar value on its AI returns.
The rollout comes alongside a planned reduction of about 2,500 staff, announced in October. The Finance Sector Union has raised concerns about AI investment in that context.
What should your business take from it?
Your business should copy the order NAB did this in: one approved tool first, then a short list of jobs tied to what the business is trying to do. NAB's use cases line up with three priorities, including business banking and home lending.
My take: the squads are the interesting part, more than the name. You're not too small for this, because a squad in a 10-person business can be two people and a shared list. Pick the tool, write down what it's allowed to touch, and choose one job per team. Then measure the time before and after, so you have a real number when someone asks if it's working.
Ruby gets a launch and a name. Your version can start with a Tuesday and a spreadsheet.
Wondering what this means for your business?
That's exactly what the discovery call is for.