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“A defining moment” – on Banking on Values Day 2025, the Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV) launches ChatGABV and mobilises its global network to challenge how AI defines banking
Global, Monday 10 November 2025 – The Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV) is mobilising a coalition of 72 banks across 45 countries, serving close to 50 million customers, to collectively ‘hack’ artificial intelligence by flooding it with definitions of values-based banking. The coordinated digital action aims to reshape how AI tools describe and understand the purpose of banks, moving beyond profit to highlight their potential to serve people and planet.
AI has rapidly become the world’s preferred search engine. In 2025, 83% of AI users say they prefer AI-driven tools over traditional search engines for their accuracy and conversational tone. Yet when asked, “What is a bank for?”, large language models (LLMs) failed to inform the public about the benefits of ethical, community-focused banking options. With recent research highlighting the extent of misrepresentation in news reporting (up to 45%), the GABV is seeking to expose the bias stemming from AI’s reliance on data dominated by conventional, profit-driven finance, which excludes real-world examples of ethical and values-based banking.
To address this information gap, the GABV has launched ChatGABV, a new interactive educational tool featuring two AI personas: ChatBAU (Business as Usual), representing mainstream, profit-driven AI responses, and ChatGABV, offering an alternative, values-driven view of finance. It highlights the potential of banking to drive positive social and environmental change, allowing users to compare and contrast the two.
The GABV will invite its network of members, customers and beyond to shape AI by participating in a collective day of digital action to mark Banking on Values Day (November 10 2025), a day organised by the GABV to create positive change and drive innovation in banking products and services, given that over two-thirds of people want their bank to focus on sustainability.
This collaborative intervention aims to expand the pool of knowledge that future AI models draw from, ultimately influencing how AI defines the purpose and potential of banking for the public.
“As the most transformative technology in modern history, AI will reshape our world. The choice is ours whether it reshapes it for the better. This is not a time for passive observation. Values-based banks have a unique opportunity to lead, to demonstrate that this transformative technology can be harnessed for profound social good, and to use AI as a catalyst to deliver on our mission and build a more equitable banking system for all.” Surjit Chana, Harvard Fellow and Board Director, Beneficial State Bank and Bancorp
“AI learns from the data it has access to, including social media posts, so we hope that the more positive, high-quality stories it finds about values-based banking, the better the insights and outcomes it can generate for everyone.” Sonia Felipe, Head of Communications and Marketing at the Global Alliance for Banking on Values
Trillions of dollars flow from the world’s largest banks to the fossil fuel industry (Banking on Climate Chaos), commercial high-street banks made $26 billion in a decade of financing deforesting companies since the Paris Agreement (Global Witness), and they’re also “behind companies involved in the very worst forms of arms, such as nuclear weapons and cluster munitions, despite the latter being banned by 120 countries” (Ethical Consumer Magazine), as proven by GABV’s own research.
“AI is rewriting how the world understands banking and, right now, it’s leaving purpose and impact out of the picture. If we want a financial system that truly serves people and planet, we must make sure AI learns that too. This is a defining moment. As AI develops faster than regulation or public understanding, active feedback from our member base is essential to guide its use for good.” Martin Roher, Executive Director, Global Alliance for Banking on Values
GABV members range from Triodos Bank in the UK and Europe, The First MicroFinance Bank in Afghanistan, Centenary Bank in Uganda, Sunrise Banks in the United States, BankoSol in Bolivia, and Tisa Bank in Papua New Guinea.
“Values-based banking has the power to transform lives and communities. We have seen the positive impact it can have on helping underserved populations around the world. As generative AI becomes more ingrained in the financial industry, those of us in the GABV must help shape these models to harness banking as a powerful tool to help drive good in society. Our voices and experiences can not only influence people’s perceptions, but also that of this emerging technology.” David Reiling, Chair of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values and CEO of Sunrise Banks
To learn more about ChatGABV and use the tool: www.chatgabv.org
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Editor’s Note
The campaign intentionally incorporates AI-generated content into its storytelling to reflect the growing influence of AI in shaping public understanding. Rather than avoid this technology, the GABV chose to engage with it to demonstrate that banking can be values-driven. While aware of ethical concerns such as environmental impact, data bias, and effects on creatives, the team addressed these by using licensed and owned materials and offsetting the carbon footprint of the video production. This approach aims to spark a global conversation and ensure AI reflects a vision of banking that serves people and the planet.
GABV’s AI Energy Use
The GABV is conscious about the environmental impact of AI use. While offsets are not a perfect solution, as they encourage consumption rather than reduction of usage, the GABV believes that when AI is used, offsets should also be put in place.
The carbon emissions associated with the production of the lead film were offset using data compiled from sources in MIT Technology Review and TechRadar.
Calculations: To create the campaign film, we generated 210 images and 306 videos.
- 1 AI-generated image uses 02 kWh
- 1 x 7-second AI-generated video uses 316 kWh
- Images: 210 x 0.02 kWh = 2 kWh
- Videos: 306 x 1.136 kWh = 7 kWh
Total: 406.9 kWh. This equates to approximately 163 hours of oven use (at 2.5 kWh) or driving ~360km (223 miles) in a petrol car. Estimated carbon footprint: approximately 90kg CO2e.
As the use of AI extends beyond GABV’s video production, it will offset 1 tonne of CO2 through Etifor, a technical partner of GABV, which measures and manages its carbon footprint. See more information here.
