Unlocking the Potential of AI in Financial Services
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a pivotal force in transforming the financial services landscape. Despite its potential, challenges related to regulation, security, and data governance continue to hinder widespread adoption. The focus for industry leaders has shifted from questioning whether AI will influence their businesses to exploring how it can provide substantial value at scale.
A recent survey encompassing 155 global industry leaders, conducted in August 2025, offers critical insights to help organizations navigate this intricate environment and establish themselves as leaders in AI adoption.
The research highlighted not only the progression of AI maturity but also emphasized the strategic choices surrounding infrastructure and vendor collaborations essential for future success:
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Implementation Gap: Nearly half of the organizations are progressing beyond mere experimentation with AI, yet only 26% have achieved complete enterprise-wide integration.
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Data Security as a Barrier: A staggering 97% of respondents indicated that data silos impede effective AI model development, particularly in large multinational firms. This underscores the necessity for high-quality, integrated, and well-governed data to realize AI’s potential.
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Adoption of Hybrid AI: Approximately 62% of participants are utilizing hybrid AI, with 91% considering it highly valuable. Delaying adoption could lead to increased costs and a competitive disadvantage.
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Prioritizing Security: An overwhelming 84% regard a unified data governance and security framework across hybrid environments as critical or very important. Additionally, one in four respondents cites security as the top criterion for selecting AI vendors.
- Maximizing AI Impact: With 97% of organizations deploying at least one AI or machine learning use case, the pressing challenge is identifying where AI can create the most value—rather than simply confirming its functionality. Success hinges on strategic infrastructure choices, vendor relationships, and sound governance rather than just financial investment.
Gary Wright, Managing Director of Finextra Research, remarked, “For our members, it is clear that AI will only reach its full potential when data sovereignty, privacy, and trust are firmly established. Our findings highlight both advancements and gaps, demonstrating that success in AI hinges not only on investment but also on strategic infrastructure decisions and vendor partnerships.”
Adrien Chenallier, Global Director for AI Solutions in Financial Services at Cloudera, added, “The report underscores that adopting a hybrid data strategy is essential. However, relying solely on infrastructure isn’t sufficient. To effectively bridge the implementation gap, financial institutions require a comprehensive data and AI platform that guarantees consistent governance and security across all environments. Only this approach can build trust, manage risk, and accelerate AI adoption.”
Stay ahead of the curve with insights that global financial leaders are leveraging to refine their AI strategies.
For a comprehensive overview, including region-specific insights and actionable guidelines, download the full report here.