Artificial intelligence is high on the agenda within European financial companies. A Bloomberg survey of more than 300 senior decision makers shows that many leaders directly link AI to money, relevance, and competitiveness.
Almost half of those surveyed said their business could lose market share if it lags in leveraging AI. According to Bloomberg, 75% believe the biggest risk of setbacks is from lost profits or obsolescence.
This perspective shows how attitudes have hardened in a short period of time. In the past, discussions about AI were more like long-term research. They are now closely tied to daily trading, asset management, and customer activities.
Bloomberg found that only 6% of respondents believe AI is getting the attention it deserves. This small share means that most leaders recognize the actual commercial importance rather than the hype behind the technology.
Bloomberg collected responses through live audience voting at events held across Europe from September to November 2025.
Locations include Frankfurt, Milan, Luxembourg, Madrid and London. These events formed part of Bloomberg's “Future of Finance” series and its Investment Management Summit.
More than 300 senior decision makers participated. Participants from buy-side and sell-side financial businesses came together to share a wide range of views across European financial services.
More information about artificial intelligence
What do finance leaders expect to change with Agentic AI?
The views on agent AI show how companies are looking differently at the next stage of automation. According to a report by Bloomberg, 46% of respondents expect this type of AI to lead to gradual automation over the next three years.
For this group, change seems real. Tasks such as internal checks, reporting, and data processing stand out as areas where software can take on more work without eliminating human oversight.
A further 37% expect bigger changes. According to Bloomberg, these leaders believe agent AI will transform workflows and decision-making across businesses.
This belief indicates that the system not only supports choices, but also influences them. The distance between these two groups shows how uneven trust is across financial companies.
Are companies already seeing the benefits of leveraging AI?
Many financial leaders say AI is already delivering measurable results. According to a Bloomberg survey, 40% of respondents reported clear business benefits from AI already in use.
These gains tend to take place behind the scenes. Speeding up internal processes, enhancing the use of data, and facilitating collaboration between teams are common topics of discussion at financial events. According to Bloomberg, negative experiences appear to be rare, with just 1% of respondents saying AI caused a bad outcome.
This low number helps explain why confidence remains high even among companies that tread carefully. Many leaders prefer to keep pace with their colleagues rather than be the first to act. Bloomberg found that 37% of respondents say their company is keeping pace with the rest of the market rather than leading the market.
Amanda Stent, Head of AI Strategy and Research, Bloomberg CTO Office: “Financial institutions clearly see AI as both a strategic necessity and a competitive differentiator. While companies are cautious about the speed and scale of change this technology will usher in, few doubt its potential long-term impact or the measurable benefits it will bring. The next step is for financial institutions to implement AI across their core operations. It depends not only on how quickly you can scale, but also how effectively you can scale. At the same time, you can build in the governance, control, and accountability that financial institutions need to deploy them responsibly. ”
