The rise of intelligent banking: AI is transforming global banking, both internally and externally. Their efforts are paying off in the form of streamlined operations, personalized advice, and increased customer trust.
Artificial intelligence has moved beyond its beginnings as an experimental technology to become the most important driver of economic value and operational transformation in the global banking sector. The institutions recognized in Global Finance's AI in Finance Awards 2026 aren't just embracing AI. It is now a fundamental element of the company's core business, transforming everything from customer service and risk management to investment banking and corporate efficiency.
Large global banks quantify the impact of AI in hundreds of millions of dollars.
Their story reveals two strategies: democratizing AI with in-house generation tools, empowering thousands of employees, and deploying it to targeted, high-impact applications. Whether Akbank revolutionizes the consumer experience with agentic and proactive assistance or Citi leverages AI as a co-pilot to power investment bankers' operations, what they have in common is a decade-long commitment to fostering a data-first culture underpinned by a robust ethical framework.
These leaders are demonstrating that the future of finance is inherently intelligent and driven by integrated AI that creates value.
The world's best AI bank
DBS Bank
Through unparalleled bank-wide AI integration, Singapore's DBS Bank transformed its operations, created substantial economic value, and solidified its position as a global AI leader. DBS has quantified the tangible impact in terms of economic value at S$750 million (approx. US$573 million) in 2024, and expects it to exceed S$1 billion this year, highlighting the direct contribution of AI to revenue.
DBS's approach is both horizontal and vertical. For example, generative AI assistants in customer service can reduce call handling times by up to 20%, and AI-powered financial advisory can help customers save and invest more. Banks report that AI-powered risk management models are five times more effective than traditional methods at detecting credit risk and fraud trends.
DBS's success to date is rooted in a decade-long commitment to building a data-first startup culture. In-house platforms such as ADA and ALAN significantly speed up the deployment of AI models. An ethical PURE (Purposeful, Unsurprising, Respectful, and Accountable) governance framework ensures responsible data use and builds trust. Starting in 2023, a dedicated data branch of over 700 experts will foster a data-driven culture, and significant investments in talent and upskilling will prepare our workforce for an AI-powered future.
Best Corporate/Institutional AI Bank
DBS Bank
DBS' strategic and comprehensive integration of AI has become a core business driver, streamlining processes and accelerating key operations for enterprise and institutional customers. AI and GenAI reduced KYC processing time by 33% and accelerated corporate account opening. The bank also reports that it leverages AI for proactive risk management, identifying more than 95% of non-performing loans up to three months in advance, preventing many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMs) from defaulting.
DBS credits AI-powered personalization, particularly personalized recommendations through predictive analytics, with contributing to the 29% increase in external payments and growth in current and savings balances. The bank also integrates its services into its partners' operations through an extensive suite of application programming interfaces (APIs), processing more than 900 million enterprise API calls. Internally, data synthesis through DBS-GPT enables relationship managers to have more effective client conversations.
Best Consumer AI Bank
Akbank
Turkey's Akbank has won the accolade of Best Consumer AI Bank of 2025 based on the application of AI to provide a highly personalized, proactive and seamless digital banking experience, significantly increasing customer engagement and sales.
Agentic AI revolutionizes customer service by automating daily tasks and delivering personalized solutions. A prime example is Akbank Assistant, an AI-powered digital assistant that offers what is called “conversational banking on your behalf.” The assistant goes beyond the traditional chatbot model to proactively assist customers, including preventing payment failures and automatically increasing card limits to ensure a seamless experience. Akbank also uses AI and machine learning to deliver hyper-personalized advice through features such as Banking IQ, which generates intelligent insights into financial behavior, achieving an 86% customer satisfaction rating. Another proactive assistant uses algorithms to anticipate client needs. The bank reported that its recommendations increased sales by 23%.
Akbank's AI strategy is proven by a 96% digital migration rate, with customers using the mobile app more than 30 times per month on average. Assistant autonomously processes over 200 banking transactions and categorizes over 1,000 customer intent types, significantly reducing the burden on call centers and supporting in-house staff who respond to over 250,000 requests each month.
Akbank builds its AI initiatives on an ethical framework based on the Artificial Intelligence Manifesto that emphasizes social benefit, sustainability, fairness, transparency, accountability, and data privacy, fostering customer trust that is essential for deep integration of AI.
the best investment AI bank
city
Citi's strategic integration of AI in investment banking aims to enhance, rather than replace, human capital, positioning AI as a powerful co-pilot that automates and streamlines complex and time-consuming tasks. The goal is to free bankers from repetitive administrative burdens and free them to direct their focus and expertise to higher-value activities.
To achieve this, Citi has developed and deployed a suite of in-house GenAI tools, particularly Citi Assist and Citi Stylus, to a large portion of its workforce. These tools are revolutionizing research and analysis by quickly summarizing large volumes of financial documents, extracting critical insights, and helping analysts efficiently navigate complex internal policy and regulatory frameworks.
AI is also increasing the rigor and speed of due diligence processes for complex M&A transactions. AI intelligently scans and analyzes large numbers of regulatory documents to identify potential risks, ensure compliance, and accelerate transaction execution.
Beyond these critical front and middle office applications, AI is driving operational efficiencies within Citi's back-office functions, including automated reconciliation, fraud detection, and client onboarding. These enhancements not only reduce operational costs, but also improve overall security and compliance.
Beyond internal operational benefits, Citi leverages AI to deliver increasingly high-value, personalized services to its diverse corporate and institutional customer base. Our research department leverages AI capabilities to create targeted content, anticipate client needs and provide tailored insights. AI algorithms can help identify trends in emerging markets, from the broader impact of AI itself to geopolitical shifts and climate change. This proactive approach allows banks to provide timely, actionable insights in a personalized manner, giving customers a competitive edge.
In wealth management, AI powers Advisor Insights, a feature that suggests timely and relevant engagement opportunities with high-net-worth clients. By proactively identifying opportunities for customized advice and professional services, AI improves customer satisfaction, strengthens customer relationships, and ultimately increases customer retention rates, solidifying Citi's position as a forward-thinking financial partner.
