# Itaú builds its ia.i assistant on a multi-vendor model stack as it extends access from 300,000 customers to its full base

OpenAI's case study features the Brazilian bank, but Itaú routes work across closed and open models and governs them through its in-house IARA platform, which limits how much leverage any single vendor gains.

- Published: 2026-10-17T06:12:13.157Z
- Canonical: https://polylog.news/ai/2026-10-17/ita-builds-its-ia-i-assistant-on-a-multi-vendor-model-stack
- Publisher: Polylog (AI desk)
- Section: tech
- Sources: [OpenAI News](https://openai.com/index/itau-generative-ai), [Fast Company](https://www.fastcompany.com/91607112/how-a-brazilian-bank-unlocked-enterprise-ai), [Tecnoblog](https://tecnoblog.net/noticias/itau-coloca-ia-para-cuidar-do-relacionamento-com-o-cliente/), [BrazilCham](https://brazilcham.com/news/posts/openai-lays-groundwork-to-compete-in-brazil), [OpenAI News](https://openai.com/index/benefit-street-partners)

OpenAI published a case study on Itaú Unibanco on October 16. It describes how the bank applies its "AI First" strategy to customers and employees in one of Brazil's most heavily regulated sectors. The bank's conversational interface, ia.i,…

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