Commercial Bank of California is partnering with California State University, Fullerton to explore how artificial intelligence can improve its banking operations.
The Irvine-based bank and CSUF’s College of Business and Economics this month launched an internship at CBC for AI-trained business students to identify where AI can help automate workflows and improve efficiency.
“The banking industry is very ripe for innovation and disruption,” Ash Patel, chairman, chief executive and president of CBC, told the Business Journal.
CBC is among a growing number of employers
CBC is among a growing number of employers adopting AI, with 24% of U.S. businesses reporting using AI and another 28% expecting to adopt it within six months, according to 2026 U.S. Census Bureau data.
As adoption grows, however, many employees say they lack the training to use AI effectively.
“Employers consistently tell us that they’re looking for talent that can leverage AI and be able to help them when they join,” Dr. Sridhar “Sri” Sundaram, dean of CSUF’s business college, told the Business Journal. “We’re making sure our students are AI-literate.”
The pilot program is scheduled to run through
The pilot program is scheduled to run through February, with plans of expanding it to other industries if successful
Program Targets Routine Banking Tasks
CBC will oversee the program’s governance, while CSUF will provide student recruitment, faculty supervision and AI training.
Students will work with CBC leadership to identify applications for AI in departments including lending evaluations, fraud detection, Bank Secrecy Act compliance and information technology services for customer service operations.
Patel said AI could help speed up routine
Patel said AI could help speed up routine tasks, such as analyzing financial statements and opening accounts, delivering services faster to customers.
“Banking is about personal relationships, which you can’t automate,” he said. “But you can automate the processes in which they are given.”
Because banking involves sensitive customer information, the program will operate under strict safeguards.
Students will not be permitted to enter confidential customer information into public AI systems, and practice exercises will use fictional or approved sample scenarios.
CBC plans to use a controlled AI environment
CBC plans to use a controlled AI environment to protect information and limit the risk of systems acting beyond their intended instructions.
“The large language models we have are closed loop, so we are very protective about information security,” Patel said. “Our goal is to be very conservative and try to utilize it with a keen eye.”
The pilot also could create a potential recruiting pipeline for CBC. Students who develop promising solutions could have the opportunity to continue working on their projects, transitioning from internships to part-time or full-time roles upon graduating.
Bank, University Build on Decades-Long Relationship The partnership
Bank, University Build on Decades-Long Relationship
The partnership grew out of an existing relationship between CBC and CSUF that spans more than a decade.
The late Paul Folino, former chairman of CBC, was a prominent CSUF supporter.
He organized the Folino Invitational, an annual golf tournament that reestablished men’s and women’s golf at CSUF after a 20-year hiatus. It raised more than $2 million, including $1 million to build an endowment for Titan men and women’s golf programs.
Patel also serves on the business college’s dean’s advisory board. Through the board, Patel and Sundaram discussed AI initiatives, including plans for an innovation and AI lab.
The college launched the AI hub, funded
The college launched the AI hub, funded in part by a $400,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, under the leadership of Amir Dabirian — former university provost and vice president of information technology.
“Ash heard about it and said, ‘Hey, there’s a great opportunity for us to do something together,’ and that’s how it started,” Sundaram said.
The business college has been growing and now has nearly 10,000 full-time undergraduate students.
Next fall, it’s relaunching its Professional MBA, a two-year, cohort-based program designed for experienced managers and emerging leaders.
We have nearly 500 students that belong
“We have nearly 500 students that belong to the MBA program, so I think we have a strong presence already,” Sundaram said. “We’re making sure that we’re updating the program to be relevant.”
The biggest change being made to the program is a hybrid schedule that will bring students back on campus every other Saturday. The $60,000 tuition for the program will additionally include a one-week international study trip, guest speaker series and other support services.
“We feel confident we’ll have a cohort of 25 to 30 every year given everything that we’re adding to this program,” Sundaram said.
The college is also preparing to open
The college is also preparing to open a $27.5 million building for business leadership next April or May.
The 20,000-square-foot building, dubbed the Landmark Building, will house the Institute for Leadership Studies and the Giles-O’Malley Center for Leadership.
