New report reveals 5 survival imperatives for finance industry

As financial institutions worldwide confront intensifying economic volatility, explosive tech acceleration and the rise of digital rivals, they face an existential squeeze.

Banks must act now or risk irrelevance in an AI-accelerated future, warns new research on the future of banking by Economist Impact, supported by data and AI leader SAS.

The report – Intelligent Banking: The Future Ahead, is based on insights from 1,700 senior executives surveyed across six continents and interviews with select banking and fintech executives – offers banking players, large and small, a compass for navigating today’s digital intelligence revolution.

“A defining decade lies ahead for banking, driven by converging regulatory fragmentation, tech disruption, and escalating, interconnected risks,” said Stu Bradley, senior vice president of Risk, Fraud and Compliance Solutions at SAS.

“To persevere – and lead – in the Digital Intelligence Era, financial firms must restore consumer trust at scale by fortifying data governance and innovating with integrity.”

Technology as a double-edged sword

The study finds near universal generative AI adoption: 99% of surveyed executives report some degree of genAI implementation. However, many institutions have struggled to realise tangible returns, with more than half of execs indicate their early genAI initiatives yielded limited to no financial benefit.

Also, while genAI innovation boosts fraud detection, criminals wield it to create deepfakes and synthetic identities that defy conventional detection methods.

Nearly 80% of surveyed executives expect cyber-attacks, fraud, and financial crimes to have major operational impacts in the decade ahead.

The report claims that this underscores firms’ need for advanced, AI-powered defences supported by robust data management and governance frameworks.

“GenAI’s promised benefits, like streamlined operations and more personalised customer experiences, also introduce significant operational, ethical and compliance risks,” said Melanie Noronha, principal of Policy and Insights at Economist Impact.

“Banks must balance innovation with vigilance at every turn.”

Risk management: No longer business as usual

Today’s macroeconomic volatility – characterised by interest rate fluctuations, liquidity stresses and fractured financial systems – has likewise made intelligent risk management central among institutions’ resilience strategies.

The report reveals that interest rate swings are exposing liquidity vulnerabilities, eroding fixed-income assets’ market values and shrinking customer deposits. In response, banks are deploying AI for dynamic stress testing, liquidity risk modeling and real-time risk analytics.

Beyond this, cross-border compliance risks are intensifying due to fragmented regulatory frameworks around data privacy, AI and cybersecurity.

Governance and regulation enable innovation

Far from viewing regulation as a constraint, most banking executives (68%) see emerging rules on artificial intelligence, open banking, and blockchain as innovation enablers.

Clear frameworks offer banks the ability to accelerate responsible technology adoption while fostering customer trust and regulatory compliance. AI frameworks can also serve as blueprints for integrating future innovations, like quantum computing.

To strengthen governance, banks are embracing AI ethics, cross-team collaboration, and automation in risk monitoring and reporting. For example, leading institutions such as Standard Chartered and DBS Bank are implementing dedicated AI governance models to balance innovation with transparency and fairness, setting new industry benchmarks for responsible innovation.

Competition redefines the banking industry

Traditional banks expect intensifying competition from digital-only banks, fintech disruptors, Big Tech and even central bank digital currencies. Many are pursuing embedded finance initiatives to create new revenue streams.

Still, strategic partnerships, particularly with fintech and Big Tech, are among the fastest routes to scale innovation and unlock new customer segments. Partnerships carry risk, however – 43% of executives cite data-sharing with third parties as a major concern.