Agentic AI Seen as “Game-Changer” by 70% of Banking Professionals

The vast majority (70%) of banking professionals believe agentic AI will have a “significant” or even “game-changing” impact on the future of banking and financial services.

According to research from SoundHound AI, this confidence stems from the technology’s wide-ranging potential applications, most notably in customer service and call centers (59%), employee efficiency (39%), and fraud and risk management (37%).

Overall, agentic AI is largely valued for its potential to strengthen the human side of banking, with 73% of respondents saying it could enhance the customer experience and 79% believing it will benefit employees.

Despite strong interest in agentic AI, banks are approaching adoption cautiously. Key concerns include security and compliance (51%), the technology’s autonomy (51%), integration with legacy systems (46%), and associated costs (42%).

The research found that institution size also plays a role in adoption, with larger banks far more likely to embrace agentic AI. In fact, 64% of bigger banks are testing or actively deploying the technology, compared with just 38% of smaller institutions.

When asked what could accelerate agentic AI adoption, more than half of banking professionals pointed to clearer regulatory guidance (54%) and seamless integration with existing systems (53%).

Michael Anderson, EVP of AI for Enterprise of SoundHound AI, said:  “It’s clear that agentic AI will change the banking industry in fundamental ways thanks to its incredible ability to reason, act, and perform complex tasks."

“This independent research illustrates that this evolution is being met with enthusiasm, particularly among larger institutions. However, trust and security have an important role to play in the industry fully embracing agentic AI and allowing banks to move forward with confidence.”