Expert Insight: “The HR function is at the heart of the AI-driven transformation”
Frédéric Thoral, Director of Human Resources (HR) at BNP Paribas Personal Finance, shares his vision of the role of Human Resources in the company’s transformation through artificial intelligence.
He reminds us of the mission of the HR function and how it fully plays its role to make AI not only a performance lever but also an accelerator for engagement, development and trust.
Artificial intelligence is gradually transforming the way we work. It is creating new uses, new tools and new interactions between staff and artificial technology. In this model, the human role does not disappear: it evolves towards more supervision, analysis, and discernment.
It is not just a technological or operational issue. At BNP Paribas Personal Finance, it encourages rethinking professions, strengthening skills and empowering staff to take their full place in the transformation.
Anticipate, train and reassure
The mission of Human Resources is therefore to anticipate, train, reassure and create the conditions for sustainable adoption. It is not just about deploying tools, but about building a common AI culture: useful, responsible, practical and aligned with the company’s mission as well as with the expectations of its employees where resources are fully integrated into daily working.
In five years, AI will be invisible—fully integrated into our daily work—and what will make the difference will no longer be access to AI, but the way we know how to use it to create value as a BNP Paribas Personal Finance employee.
Today, the company already has a strong data culture, which supports the gradual integration of AI across business functions. However, the success of this transition depends above all on our ability to evolve our practices, management approaches and collective skills.
The 3 HR priorities at BNP Paribas Personal Finance
This evolution represents a major project for the HR function. Here are our three priorities:
1. Supporting the evolution of roles
From marketing to risk management, from legal to customer relations, AI is gradually transforming employees’ tasks, individual responsibilities, and our working methods. HR plays a key role in helping teams transition from an execution-based approach to one of enhanced supervision, analysis, and decision-making.
The AI tools already provided to the teams demonstrate the importance of an approach tailored to the needs of every business line. A legal expert, a developer or a team manager does not use AI in the same way. For HR, the challenge is therefore to support these uses as closely as possible to day-to-day operations, taking into account operational realities and the skills that need to be developed.
2. Supporting employees’ skills development.
The customer relationship illustrates the transformation we are experiencing. AI enables a shift from a primarily transactional approach to a more personalized, conversational relationship.
Artificial intelligence offers tremendous opportunities for employees: this means fewer repetitive tasks and more added value in listening, board advice and support.
This evolution requires new relational, analytical and digital skills, as well as the ability to work with tools that enhance decision-making without replacing human judgment.
AI therefore requires HR to enable every employee to understand, use and shape AI—not alone, but collectively, as a team, and to strengthen the understanding of the opportunities offered by these technologies.
To accompany every employee in this transition, we have implemented the following initiatives:
- A gamified and multilingual digital journey in generative AI accessible to all BNP Paribas Personal Finance staff in France and internationally.
- Specific training to support the deployment of the BNP Paribas Group’s internal AI assistant, enabling every BNP Paribas Personal Finance staff member to test and use AI in a secure environment.
- An AI ambassadors community present in each of our countries whose role is not to be a technical AI expert, but a business expert who acts as an intermediary between technical and business teams, and who plays a key role in promoting and integrating AI technologies into the business.
3. Supporting managers as their role evolves.
AI must remain at the service of humans, within a controlled framework. It also becomes essential to strengthen soft skills — critical thinking, adaptability, cooperation, listening and discernment — to enable everyone to interact with these technologies in a responsible and value-creating way. This involves supporting managers in evolving their role, clarifying usage rules, securing practices, and maintaining a balance between efficiency, responsibility, and quality of work life.
Beyond the evolution of our ways of working, artificial intelligence offers an opportunity for BNP Paribas Personal Finance to accelerate our innovations, enhance our clients’ experience and strengthen our positioning as a technology-driven company.
It goes beyond efficiency: it unlocks new potential in each of us!
Q&A
What is the role of Human Resources in the transformation through artificial intelligence?
Human Resources is responsible for supporting the adoption of artificial intelligence within the company. Their role is to anticipate changes in professions, develop staff skills, and create the conditions for responsible and sustainable use of AI.
Why is artificial intelligence also an HR topic?
AI does not only transform tools and processes. It transforms the professions, the expected skills and the working methods. The HR function intervenes to prepare staff for these changes, support managers and foster team engagement in the transformation.
How does AI transform jobs?
Artificial intelligence automates certain repetitive tasks and allows staff to focus more on analysis, decision-making, advisory and supervision. This evolution affects many areas such as marketing, customer relations, risk management, IT, and legal.
What are the main HR challenges related to artificial intelligence?
The main challenges involve developing skills, supporting changes in practices, strengthening trust in AI tools, and ensuring responsible use of these technologies. The goal is to enable everyone to leverage AI while maintaining a strong human dimension in their work.
What are the HR priorities of BNP Paribas Personal Finance in relation to AI?
BNP Paribas Personal Finance relies on three priorities:
- Support the evolution of professions
- Develop staff skills
- Support managers in evolving their role.
This approach aims to make AI a lever for performance, as well as for professional development and engagement.
How does BNP Paribas Personal Finance train its staff in artificial intelligence?
The company has implemented several measures:
- a training program on generative AI accessible to all staff
- dedicated training on the use of BNP Paribas Group AI tools;
- an AI ambassador network present in the various countries where the company operates.
The goal is to enable everyone to understand, test and use AI in a secure framework.
What is an AI ambassador?
An AI ambassador is a business collaborator who bridges the gap between technical and operational teams. His role is to help his colleagues identify relevant uses of AI, share best practices, and promote the adoption of new tools.
Will artificial intelligence replace staff?
BNP Paribas Personal Finance’s vision is that AI does not replace staff but transforms their role. Human skills such as critical thinking, judgment, listening, creativity and cooperation become even more important in an environment where AI is integrated into daily activities.
How does AI transform the customer relationship?
AI enables a more personalized and conversational relationship. By automating certain administrative or repetitive tasks, it gives teams more time to support customers, advise them, and respond to their needs more effectively.
What is the role of managers in an AI-augmented working environment?
Managers play a key role in supporting change. They must help their teams adopt the new tools, clarify usage rules, encourage skill development and maintain a balance between performance, responsibility and quality of working life.
Which skills are becoming essential with AI?
Technical skills remain important, but human skills are even more valuable. Among the most sought-after are:
- critical thinking
- adaptability
- cooperation
- analysis
- listening
- discernment
What will the use of AI look like in five years?
According to BNP Paribas Personal Finance, artificial intelligence will gradually become invisible as it is fully integrated into the daily work of employees. The difference will no longer be about access to tools, but about the ability to use them effectively to create value for customers, teams and the company.
Why does BNP Paribas Personal Finance consider AI as an opportunity?
Artificial intelligence enables us to accelerate innovation, enhance customer experience and strengthen the company’s performance. Beyond efficiency gains, it also offers the opportunity to develop new skills and unlock new potential among employees.
