How financial services firms can win by moving at two AI speeds

As AI continues to reshape the financial services sector, senior executives and boards are pushing for enterprise-scale deployments that create exponential value, rather than focusing on narrow improvements that have been the norm to date. Many firms have automated manual work, increased productivity and reduced costs. They’ve launched training and upskilling programs focused on the use of new tools. Those are necessary steps — and it’s worth continuing along this path to harvest the gains — but most firms have yet to achieve large-scale adoption from these initial efforts.

How financial services firms can win by moving at two AI speeds

As AI continues to reshape the financial services sector, senior executives and boards are pushing for enterprise-scale deployments that create exponential value, rather than focusing on narrow improvements that have been the norm to date. Many firms have automated manual work, increased productivity and reduced costs. They’ve launched training and upskilling programs focused on the use of new tools. Those are necessary steps — and it’s worth continuing along this path to harvest the gains — but most firms have yet to achieve large-scale adoption from these initial efforts.

Institutional investor digital assets survey

The survey reveals that institutional interest in digital assets is accelerating as markets mature and confidence in long-term adoption grows.

Regulatory progress and regulated vehicles are unlocking broader participation, bringing digital assets further into the financial mainstream.

Attention is shifting from “access” to “application,” with greater focus on infrastructure, tokenization and practical use cases.

How AI in banking can result in major transformative benefits

Generative AI (GenAI) continues to rapidly evolve, driving significant investment and optimism across banking institutions. The 2025 edition of the EY-Parthenon Generative AI in Banking survey reveals substantial progress since 2023, with 77% of banks having now actively launched or soft-launched GenAI applications vs. 61% in 2023. Concurrently, interest in agentic AI is gaining traction, attracting resources and attention. 

Unlocking AI insights: how AI is transforming financial services

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the landscape for financial services leaders by delivering both cost savings and enhancing customer experience. Agentic AI, the next wave of innovation, promises business process orchestration and autonomous digital employees. While progress has been made, challenges remain on the road to fully realizing the potential of artificial intelligence (AI).

An EY team conducted a broad, cross-sector survey in the first half of 2025 that included leaders in wealth and asset management, retail and commercial banking, and insurance. The aim was to better understand how these firms are exploring and/or implementing GenAI applications. We’ve segmented the results by sector to illustrate the unique differences

Reimagining the future of banking with agentic AI

Agentic AI is coming of age. And with it comes new opportunities in the financial services sector. Banks are increasingly employing agentic AI to optimize processes, navigate complex systems, and sift through vast quantities of unstructured data to make decisions and take actions—with or without human involvement. “With the maturing of agentic AI, it is becoming a lot more technologically possible for large-scale process automation that was not possible with rules-based approaches like robotic process automation before,” says Sameer Gupta, Americas financial services AI leader at EY. “That moves the needle in terms of cost, efficiency, and customer experience impact.”

How can reimagining today's workforce help banks shape their future?

A high-performance bank needs a high-performing workforce, with dynamic talent, modern employee value propositions and advanced systems that engage and bring out the best in all workers.

In response to economic pressures and market uncertainty, many banks are focused on reducing their labor expenses. But cost-cutting isn’t the answer at a time when banks face critical talent shortages in key domains. Rather, banks can redirect talent investments to drive more value for the business and build a strategic and high-impact people function.

Four regulatory shifts financial firms must watch in 2026

Over the past year, established trends have crystallized into a new global landscape where local interests loom much larger. This will increasingly challenge international firms.

Global financial regulation reached a turning point in 2025. In the 2026 Global Financial Services Regulatory Outlook, we see a shift from 2025’s challenge—fragmentation—to a new era of localization, as national regulators rewrite rules to match domestic growth and competitiveness goals.

Growing enthusiasm propels digital assets into the mainstream

The US election of 2024 may be viewed in hindsight as the major catalyst which propelled digital assets into the mainstream of the global financial system. After four years of skepticism, regulation by enforcement, and a host of scandals that set back the cause of decentralized finance, there is once again enthusiasm.

Stablecoins: adoption, optimism and regulatory clarity

The passage of the GENIUS Act marks a turning point in the evolution of digital payment infrastructure and transaction processing. By providing a framework for regulatory clarity, it unlocks new opportunities to reduce costs, accelerate transaction speed and improve liquidity across corporate, cross-border and consumer payments. Stablecoins — powered by blockchain and backed by real-world assets like cash and U.S. Treasuries — are emerging as a new tool for growth and innovation in global financial markets. 

How AI simulation accelerates growth in wealth and asset management

The age of guessing what consumers want is over. Welcome to the era of knowing what they'll actually do – before they do it. 

Traditional decision making is built on a fundamental flaw — by the time you gather intelligence, analyze it, and act upon it, the world has already changed. Worse still, the very methods used to generate that intelligence are skewed by hidden biases and gaps. What people say they will do does not match how they behave. The combination of delay and distortion leaves firms flying blind precisely when clarity matters the most.

Institutional investor digital assets survey

The survey reveals that institutional interest in digital assets is accelerating as markets mature and confidence in long-term adoption grows.

Regulatory progress and regulated vehicles are unlocking broader participation, bringing digital assets further into the financial mainstream.

Attention is shifting from “access” to “application,” with greater focus on infrastructure, tokenization and practical use cases.

US Basel III Proposal: what the changes mean

On March 19, 2026, the Federal Reserve Board (FRB), the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) (collectively, the Regulators or the Agencies) jointly issued three Notices for Proposed Rulemaking (NPR), rescinding the 2023 Basel III Endgame (B3E) proposal on banking capital requirements and issuing a new Basel III Proposal (B3P).

How leaders can aim for success as private markets change the rules

Private markets have crossed a threshold as mature asset classes, leaving their previous niche status behind. With assets under management (AUM) approaching US$15t globally and widely expected to exceed US$30t by 2030, private capital is no longer confined to institutional portfolios.¹ It is becoming embedded across select retail portfolios, pension and retirement systems, insurance balance sheets and sovereign allocations.

Digital audit | Insights, case studies & services | EY - US

The EY Digital Audit delivers more than market-leading technology — it’s the catalyst for new perspectives within the audit. Powered by our EY Helix analyzers and connected technology platform, our auditors are equipped to ask better questions, drive continuous improvement and execute high-quality audits. 

From boom to bust: considerations for the securities lending industry

Disruption of incumbents has accelerated in recent decades as a secular trend across all sectors of the economy. This trend is evident in the average tenure of companies in the S&P 500 Index. The average lifespan of a US S&P 500 company used to be 67 years. Now it’s 15 and expected to shorten further.¹ Additionally, information technology companies in 1969 made up a small portion of the S&P 500, only 16 firms, but now tech firms dominate the sector. This shift portends even more disruption in the future as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain and quantum computing have the potential to remake markets and reshape operating models. 

The future of asset management: strategies for differentiation

If you were building the asset manager of tomorrow, what would it look like, and what investments would you prioritize?

To answer this, we gathered the plans and predictions of asset management CFOs (some respondents hold dual CFO and COO roles) around the world and combined them with our experience and conversations with clients.

How leaders can aim for success as private markets change the rules

Private markets have crossed a threshold as mature asset classes, leaving their previous niche status behind. With assets under management (AUM) approaching US$15t globally and widely expected to exceed US$30t by 2030, private capital is no longer confined to institutional portfolios.¹ It is becoming embedded across select retail portfolios, pension and retirement systems, insurance balance sheets and sovereign allocations.

US Basel III Proposal: what the changes mean

On March 19, 2026, the Federal Reserve Board (FRB), the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) (collectively, the Regulators or the Agencies) jointly issued three Notices for Proposed Rulemaking (NPR), rescinding the 2023 Basel III Endgame (B3E) proposal on banking capital requirements and issuing a new Basel III Proposal (B3P).

Institutional investor digital assets survey

The survey reveals that institutional interest in digital assets is accelerating as markets mature and confidence in long-term adoption grows.

Regulatory progress and regulated vehicles are unlocking broader participation, bringing digital assets further into the financial mainstream.

Attention is shifting from “access” to “application,” with greater focus on infrastructure, tokenization and practical use cases.

Four regulatory shifts financial firms must watch in 2026

Over the past year, established trends have crystallized into a new global landscape where local interests loom much larger. This will increasingly challenge international firms.

Global financial regulation reached a turning point in 2025. In the 2026 Global Financial Services Regulatory Outlook, we see a shift from 2025’s challenge—fragmentation—to a new era of localization, as national regulators rewrite rules to match domestic growth and competitiveness goals.

Stablecoins: adoption, optimism and regulatory clarity

The passage of the GENIUS Act marks a turning point in the evolution of digital payment infrastructure and transaction processing. By providing a framework for regulatory clarity, it unlocks new opportunities to reduce costs, accelerate transaction speed and improve liquidity across corporate, cross-border and consumer payments. Stablecoins — powered by blockchain and backed by real-world assets like cash and U.S. Treasuries — are emerging as a new tool for growth and innovation in global financial markets. 

How AI simulation accelerates growth in wealth and asset management

The age of guessing what consumers want is over. Welcome to the era of knowing what they'll actually do – before they do it. 

Traditional decision making is built on a fundamental flaw — by the time you gather intelligence, analyze it, and act upon it, the world has already changed. Worse still, the very methods used to generate that intelligence are skewed by hidden biases and gaps. What people say they will do does not match how they behave. The combination of delay and distortion leaves firms flying blind precisely when clarity matters the most.

The future of asset management: strategies for differentiation

If you were building the asset manager of tomorrow, what would it look like, and what investments would you prioritize?

To answer this, we gathered the plans and predictions of asset management CFOs (some respondents hold dual CFO and COO roles) around the world and combined them with our experience and conversations with clients.

Stablecoins: adoption, optimism and regulatory clarity

The passage of the GENIUS Act marks a turning point in the evolution of digital payment infrastructure and transaction processing. By providing a framework for regulatory clarity, it unlocks new opportunities to reduce costs, accelerate transaction speed and improve liquidity across corporate, cross-border and consumer payments. Stablecoins — powered by blockchain and backed by real-world assets like cash and U.S. Treasuries — are emerging as a new tool for growth and innovation in global financial markets. 

Growing enthusiasm propels digital assets into the mainstream

The US election of 2024 may be viewed in hindsight as the major catalyst which propelled digital assets into the mainstream of the global financial system. After four years of skepticism, regulation by enforcement, and a host of scandals that set back the cause of decentralized finance, there is once again enthusiasm.

Four regulatory shifts financial firms must watch in 2026

Over the past year, established trends have crystallized into a new global landscape where local interests loom much larger. This will increasingly challenge international firms.

Global financial regulation reached a turning point in 2025. In the 2026 Global Financial Services Regulatory Outlook, we see a shift from 2025’s challenge—fragmentation—to a new era of localization, as national regulators rewrite rules to match domestic growth and competitiveness goals.

From boom to bust: considerations for the securities lending industry

Disruption of incumbents has accelerated in recent decades as a secular trend across all sectors of the economy. This trend is evident in the average tenure of companies in the S&P 500 Index. The average lifespan of a US S&P 500 company used to be 67 years. Now it’s 15 and expected to shorten further.¹ Additionally, information technology companies in 1969 made up a small portion of the S&P 500, only 16 firms, but now tech firms dominate the sector. This shift portends even more disruption in the future as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain and quantum computing have the potential to remake markets and reshape operating models. 

From boom to bust: considerations for the securities lending industry

Disruption of incumbents has accelerated in recent decades as a secular trend across all sectors of the economy. This trend is evident in the average tenure of companies in the S&P 500 Index. The average lifespan of a US S&P 500 company used to be 67 years. Now it’s 15 and expected to shorten further.¹ Additionally, information technology companies in 1969 made up a small portion of the S&P 500, only 16 firms, but now tech firms dominate the sector. This shift portends even more disruption in the future as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain and quantum computing have the potential to remake markets and reshape operating models. 

Digital audit | Insights, case studies & services | EY - US

The EY Digital Audit delivers more than market-leading technology — it’s the catalyst for new perspectives within the audit. Powered by our EY Helix analyzers and connected technology platform, our auditors are equipped to ask better questions, drive continuous improvement and execute high-quality audits. 

Reimagining the future of banking with agentic AI

Agentic AI is coming of age. And with it comes new opportunities in the financial services sector. Banks are increasingly employing agentic AI to optimize processes, navigate complex systems, and sift through vast quantities of unstructured data to make decisions and take actions—with or without human involvement. “With the maturing of agentic AI, it is becoming a lot more technologically possible for large-scale process automation that was not possible with rules-based approaches like robotic process automation before,” says Sameer Gupta, Americas financial services AI leader at EY. “That moves the needle in terms of cost, efficiency, and customer experience impact.”

From boom to bust: considerations for the securities lending industry

Disruption of incumbents has accelerated in recent decades as a secular trend across all sectors of the economy. This trend is evident in the average tenure of companies in the S&P 500 Index. The average lifespan of a US S&P 500 company used to be 67 years. Now it’s 15 and expected to shorten further.¹ Additionally, information technology companies in 1969 made up a small portion of the S&P 500, only 16 firms, but now tech firms dominate the sector. This shift portends even more disruption in the future as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain and quantum computing have the potential to remake markets and reshape operating models. 

How can reimagining today's workforce help banks shape their future?

A high-performance bank needs a high-performing workforce, with dynamic talent, modern employee value propositions and advanced systems that engage and bring out the best in all workers.

In response to economic pressures and market uncertainty, many banks are focused on reducing their labor expenses. But cost-cutting isn’t the answer at a time when banks face critical talent shortages in key domains. Rather, banks can redirect talent investments to drive more value for the business and build a strategic and high-impact people function.

Reimagining the future of banking with agentic AI

Agentic AI is coming of age. And with it comes new opportunities in the financial services sector. Banks are increasingly employing agentic AI to optimize processes, navigate complex systems, and sift through vast quantities of unstructured data to make decisions and take actions—with or without human involvement. “With the maturing of agentic AI, it is becoming a lot more technologically possible for large-scale process automation that was not possible with rules-based approaches like robotic process automation before,” says Sameer Gupta, Americas financial services AI leader at EY. “That moves the needle in terms of cost, efficiency, and customer experience impact.”

Unlocking AI insights: how AI is transforming financial services

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the landscape for financial services leaders by delivering both cost savings and enhancing customer experience. Agentic AI, the next wave of innovation, promises business process orchestration and autonomous digital employees. While progress has been made, challenges remain on the road to fully realizing the potential of artificial intelligence (AI).

An EY team conducted a broad, cross-sector survey in the first half of 2025 that included leaders in wealth and asset management, retail and commercial banking, and insurance. The aim was to better understand how these firms are exploring and/or implementing GenAI applications. We’ve segmented the results by sector to illustrate the unique differences

How AI in banking can result in major transformative benefits

Generative AI (GenAI) continues to rapidly evolve, driving significant investment and optimism across banking institutions. The 2025 edition of the EY-Parthenon Generative AI in Banking survey reveals substantial progress since 2023, with 77% of banks having now actively launched or soft-launched GenAI applications vs. 61% in 2023. Concurrently, interest in agentic AI is gaining traction, attracting resources and attention. 

Digital audit | Insights, case studies & services | EY - US

The EY Digital Audit delivers more than market-leading technology — it’s the catalyst for new perspectives within the audit. Powered by our EY Helix analyzers and connected technology platform, our auditors are equipped to ask better questions, drive continuous improvement and execute high-quality audits.