A recent consumer survey commissioned by Bank of Ireland underscores shifting expectations in financial services. Conducted by Red C Research in early 2026 among over 1,300 adults across Ireland, the study found that nearly three-quarters (72%) of respondents consider it essential for banks and utility providers to equip their staff with artificial intelligence skills. This sentiment reflects growing public confidence that workforce development is vital to unlocking AI’s potential in everyday services.
Consumers identified two standout areas where AI could deliver immediate value: fraud detection and prevention, cited by 60% of participants, and accelerated resolution of customer inquiries, noted by almost half.
These priorities align closely with real-world deployments already yielding results at Bank of Ireland.
In 2025 alone, the bank’s AI and machine learning systems helped safeguard €9.7 million in potential fraud losses across roughly one billion card transactions.
Additionally, AI-generated spending insights reached 127 million customers, while contact-center tools cut call transfers by 40%, enabling faster and more accurate support.
Bank of Ireland has responded proactively to these expectations. Approximately 20% of its workforce has already participated in AI or data-fluency programs.
More than 1,100 colleagues completed foundational data training, with over 100 advancing to analyst-level certification through a partnership with University College Dublin.
Another 1,200-plus employees are enrolled in the bank’s internal AI Academy, and select leaders are pursuing specialized programs at Cambridge Spark.
Chief Strategy Officer Billy O’Connell emphasized that meeting customer demands begins with internal capability-building: targeted upskilling positions the organization to deliver seamless, secure services in an AI-driven era.
This focus on human capital mirrors explosive AI adoption across the wider fintech sector.
According to CB Insights’ 2025 State of Fintech report, global fintech funding rebounded to $52.7 billion—the highest annual total since 2022—fueled in part by AI-powered innovations such as autonomous agents capable of handling financial transactions.
Financial services now lead all industries in AI-agent partnerships, with document-heavy processes ideal for early autonomous deployments.
PitchBook’s Q4 2025 Fintech VC Trends analysis similarly highlights record median valuations driven by AI premiums, with deal value reaching $42.8 billion for the year.
Early-stage AI-enabled fintechs commanded significant uplifts, signaling investor conviction that intelligent systems will reshape everything from risk management to personalization.
Juniper Research’s 2026 fintech and payments outlook reinforces this momentum, forecasting that generative AI will fundamentally transform banking operations while agentic AI and advanced fraud tools become mainstream.
Global e-commerce fraud is projected to cost merchants $66.4 billion in 2026, yet AI-driven prevention solutions are already delivering accuracy rates above 90% at scale.
Complementary research from McKinsey and Deloitte shows fintech challengers—representing just 40% of institutions—account for nearly 70% of AI initiatives, thanks to greater agility and fewer legacy constraints.
Enterprise-wide, worker access to AI tools surged 50% in 2025, with leading organizations doubling the share of production-ready AI projects.
The main takeaway from these insights is clear: successful AI integration in fintech demands more than technology—it requires culturally aligned, skilled teams.
As banks like Bank of Ireland invest in comprehensive training programs, the sector stands poised for greater efficiency, enhanced security, and deeper customer trust. With adoption accelerating and investment flowing toward agentic and generative solutions, 2026 may mark the year AI moves from pilot projects to core infrastructure.