Finastra’s annual survey reveals that, despite global economic uncertainty, US financial institutions are primed to invest in artificial intelligence (AI), Banking as a Service (BaaS) and embedded finance, “striking an optimistic tone for innovation.”
The ‘Financial Services: State of the Nation Survey 2023’ finds that US financial institutions are among the most likely to “have resumed their technology investments in full already, with almost a quarter of financial decision-makers reporting that normal investment levels in technology and digital banking have returned.”
Those in the US (44%) are also much more likely “than in all other markets to say constraints to investment have lasted less time than expected.”
Decision-makers in the US are also excited “about the opportunities presented by fast technological and cultural change within the industry today. Nearly nine in ten respondents (89%) are personally excited about the pace of change, while 83% are enthusiastic about the opportunities it will bring for their financial institution and 81% for the wider financial services industry.”
Key areas of opportunity for the US lie “in BaaS and embedded finance, with close to two thirds of respondents (64%) having improved or deployed BaaS in the last year, significantly more than in most other markets. 84% agree that consumers increasingly want their financial services embedded in context, indicating a widespread appetite for embedded finance.”
This also indicates a gear shift, as it “shows deployment and improvement plans have accelerated, marking 2023 as the year of action for BaaS in particular. Adoption is rising as financial institutions increasingly recognize its importance and wide-ranging use cases in a more fragmented financial services environment.”
While US respondents stating they have “improved or deployed AI in the last twelve months remains essentially flat with last year at 33%, advances in AI are expected to support the rise of BaaS and embedded finance going forward, adding value to these technologies.”
For example, financial institutions can “leverage AI at the front end for a better customer experience in BaaS. Additionally, its use in embedded finance can support credit decisions and fraud detection.”
The growing importance of generative AI also “stands out in the research. 76% of US respondents say their institution is interested in the technology, whether that means it is already fully implemented (19%), being researched or trialed (32%), or is something of interest yet to be installed (25%).”
The research, conducted from August to September 2023, canvassed “the opinions of 956 professionals at financial institutions and banks across France, Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, UK, US, and Vietnam.”
Other insights from the US include:
- Creative use cases for generative AI: Collecting, processing, and analyzing data for ESG criteria classifications or decision-making is the most widely cited use case for generative AI in the US, with 42% of respondents stating they are either currently using AI for this purpose or planning to do so.
- Financial institutions are supportive of collaboration: Consistent with last year, organizations are continuing to look outwards rather than inwards.US respondents are particularly supportive of collaboration, with 86% stating that the benefits outweigh its costs and that it has made business more efficient. Further, 88% agree that collaboration has been a driver for success, pointing to a significant embrace of Open Finance.\
- Differentiation between ESG and community support: 71% of respondents state that it is important for the financial services sector to support Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives and actively seek to improve in this space. However, a higher total of 82% say that the financial services and banking sector is about more than just finance, and institutions have a duty to support the communities they serve. This indicates a difference in how US financial institutions view ESG as a whole versus direct local community support.
Check here for Survey Methodology.