BMO announced today that it has secured the joint #1 global ranking in AI Talent Development in the highly respected 2025 Evident AI Index. This significant achievement benchmarks the artificial intelligence maturity of the world’s top 50 banks, highlighting BMO’s proactive strategy to cultivate a future-ready workforce equipped with essential AI skills. The bank’s strong performance in this pillar contributed to its overall climb of five spots in the 2025 global ranking, which evaluates institutions across four key pillars: Talent, Leadership, Innovation, and Transparency.
The recognition underscores BMO’s comprehensive and inclusive approach to AI enablement, ensuring that AI literacy and responsible application permeate all levels of the organization. A core component of this strategy is the “AI for All” foundational training program, designed to equip every employee, regardless of their technical background, with a practical understanding of AI, including its ethical use and governance. This push is complemented by specialized, curated learning paths for all roles—from non-technical positions to senior leadership—covering critical areas like AI, Cloud, Agile, and Cybersecurity, with specific programs like Artificial Intelligence Foundations for Non-Technical Roles and AI for Leaders ensuring strategic alignment. The bank’s digital learning platform, Pluralsight, is also a powerful driver of enterprise-wide tech fluency, recording a remarkable 222% year-over-year increase in AI-related learning engagement.
Beyond internal training, BMO is actively shaping the external AI ecosystem through strategic academic partnerships, offering funding and collaboration with institutions such as McGill University, the Rotman School of Management, and the University of Waterloo. The bank’s recruitment strategy also reflects a holistic view of AI expertise, actively recruiting from diverse educational backgrounds like neuroscience, law, and philosophy, valuing sociotechnical skills such as curiosity, communication, and responsible AI governance alongside purely technical prowess. Its marquee innovation sprint event, “Destination Digital,” further empowers employees to rapidly prototype AI-powered solutions to real business challenges. According to Kristin Milchanowski, Chief Artificial Intelligence and Data Officer at BMO, “We’re proud to be setting the global standard among financial institutions in how we are investing in our workforce and scaling AI to all employees to maximize team performance.” This joint top ranking validates BMO’s sustained investment in its people and its digital-first mindset, positioning it as a clear leader in harnessing AI to reimagine banking operations, streamline processes, and unlock new insights for its 13 million customers.
The Evident AI Index is a key benchmark in the financial sector, and the video linked below provides further context on the rapid adoption of AI across the banking industry.
