New Survey on AI Adoption Rates in FIs Points to a Generational Divide

By W.B. King

Sixty-eight percent of credit union and banking C-level executives are in the early stages of AI adoption (either exploring or piloting at 36% or using it internally at 32%) and 35% believe AI will significantly increase banker productivity within three years. These are among findings from the 2026 The State of Artificial Intelligence – U.S. Bank & Credit Union Survey.

Published by Atlanta-based York Public Relations, and commissioned by Agent IQ, the report surveyed 51 banks and 53 Credit unions from May 14-29, 2026. York helps fintech companies and financial institutions increase brand awareness through public relations and marketing strategies. Austin, Texas-based Agent IQ offers an AI-powered relationship banking platform that combines 24/7 self-service with the personal touch of a dedicated banker.

“We hear the questions financial institutions are asking, the pressures they're navigating, and the opportunities they're trying to seize. AI is critical to financial institution operations. And across the institutions we surveyed, one theme emerged with particular clarity: the expectation is augmentation, not replacement,” noted Founder and CEO of York Public Relations Mary York. “Eight in 10 respondents anticipate AI will increase productivity, automate portions of work, or shift bankers toward more advisory roles. The question now is how institutions are approaching that transition.”

Testing, Learning and Building

While AI adoption rates are on the rise, only 6% of respondents report using AI in customer-facing interactions, and just 2% have scaled AI across multiple functions. Meanwhile, 24% of institutions are not yet using AI at all, the survey stated. Among reasons for these statistics are worries related to regulatory oversight, data security concerns, and risk management obligations, among others.

“The industry is in the middle of an adoption curve, not at its peak,” the report said. “The majority of institutions are still testing, learning, and building internal confidence with AI rather than deploying it broadly.”

For fintechs looking to make the sale to FIs, the report noted data is a current barrier: The market is large, but many buyers are still building the case internally.

Over the next one to two years, respondents ranked the following seven segments for potential AI investments (in order of importance):

• Fraud detection/risk compliance.

• Back-office automation/operations.

• Customer service/contact center.

• Lending (origination, underwriting, processing).

• Internal knowledge/employee productivity tools.

• Digital banking/self-service experiences.

• Sales/relationship management/cross-sell.

  
  

“Taken together, the rankings suggest that financial institutions are prioritizing AI use cases that solve existing operational challenges before pursuing more transformative opportunities,” the report stated. “In other words, institutions are looking for AI to improve how they operate today before reimagining how they compete tomorrow.”

According to those surveyed, AI investment goals are as follows:

• Improve operational efficiency/reduce manual work (82%).

• Support employee productivity and satisfaction (58%).

• Enhance customer experience and responsiveness (50%).

• Strengthen risk management / compliance (42%).

• Increase revenue (cross-sell, conversion, share of wallet) (16%).

“Many institutions continue to face talent acquisition and retention challenges across operations, compliance, lending, and technology functions. AI is increasingly being viewed not only as a productivity tool, but also as a mechanism for preserving institutional knowledge, accelerating onboarding, and helping less-experienced employees become productive more quickly,” the report continued. “That framing matters for how AI gets introduced internally. Institutions that position AI as a tool that elevates bankers rather than replaces them will have a far easier time with internal adoption and change management.”

The Next Front of Talent Retention

York said that many FIs are in the early stages of exploring or piloting AI, rather than scaling it. As such, she believes that trust in AI outputs and accuracy is a significant barrier opposed to regulatory and compliance concerns, which challenges conventional wisdom on the subject.

“Nearly every respondent believes AI will materially change how bankers work within three years. That gap between where institutions are and where they expect to be is what this report examines,” she noted, adding that there is generational divide shaping how FIs will adopt AI. “With workers under 50 significantly more likely to use AI tools on the job, institutions face a workforce strategy question hiding inside a technology decision. Internal AI adoption may be the next front in talent retention.”