Banking giant BNY has partnered with the University of Manchester in a £5 million initiative to investigate how artificial intelligence will reshape the workplace. The five-year Future of Work Alliance aims to design and test new models for the responsible use of AI in data-driven global enterprises.
Project Details
The collaboration will leverage the university's academic strengths in applied AI, data science, and inclusive innovation, combined with BNY's experience in deploying AI globally. The project is hosted by the Alliance Manchester Business School and supported by the university's innovation arm, Unit M.
Key components include real-world problem-solving, executive education programs for business leaders on AI adoption, postgraduate internships, scholarships, and a keynote lecture series.
Strategic Importance
Manchester is one of BNY's six global hubs, employing around 2,000 people. This year, the company will relocate to a new hub in the ten-storey 4 Angel Square building in NOMA, opposite New Century Hall.
Alejandro Perez, chief operating officer of BNY, stated: "One of the challenges for organisations is how AI can be scaled in complex environments. The Future of Work Alliance connects our operational reality with The University of Manchester's world-class research and talent pipeline to build the foundations for human-led digital transformation at scale."
Academic and Government Support
Professor Duncan Ivison, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Manchester, commented: "AI is transforming work globally, and this alliance brings our highly talented researchers, students and our civic mission together with BNY's experience of deploying AI responsibly at scale."
Lord Stockwood, Minister for Investment at the Department for Business and Trade, said: "BNY's £5 million initiative with The University of Manchester is excellent news for Manchester and the wider region... The Future of Work Alliance is a clear example of our Industrial Strategy in action."
Joe Manning, managing director of Invest Manchester, added: "Manchester is the most AI-ready city in the UK, and this alliance will bring together two institutions with the experience and credibility to tackle the questions around AI that businesses are facing right now."
