2026
9
UK AI and Financial Services: 2026
2026-06-04T10:01:27+00:00
REPFA051A92_68DB_4A88_851A_9268DB2A88FB
2995
193892
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Report
en_GB
Advances in AI are reshaping the UK financial services industry, yet consumers remain cautious. Adoption of AI in personal financial management remains in a growth stage, with around a third…
UK
Financial Services
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
simple

UK AI and Financial Services: 2026

"AI is transforming UK financial services, but trust is an issue. To fully harness its potential, focus on how the technology can enhance the factors that really matter to users, convenience and service."

George Zaborowski, Senior Market Analyst

George Zaborowski, Senior Market Analyst

Advances in AI are reshaping the UK financial services industry, yet consumers remain cautious. Adoption of AI in personal financial management remains in a growth stage, with around a third of UK adults using AI to support financial decisions.

A lack of trust in AI is the biggest challenge facing the wider adoption of bank-led AI tools and services. Consumers are twice as likely to think AI will increase exposure to scams and deepfakes as they are to believe it will improve financial products and services. Declining access to humans is also of particular concern, with most preferring to speak with a human before making a major financial decision.

The integration of AI into financial services offers huge potential upsides for consumers and brands alike. However, to ensure any roll out is perceived positively by consumers, it is essential that AI use is shown to be secure and transparent, while note replacing human support at the times that matter most to consumers.

Given current sentiment about AI, the key to wider acceptance in financial services is not about developing the most advanced and sophisticated AI tools, but to make AI feel safe, useful and easy to understand.

This Report Looks at the Following Areas:

  • How AI advances are being deployed in financial services
  • Use of AI tools and services in financial product and advice search
  • Consumers’ experience with AI-powered banking features
  • Preferences for digital vs human interaction
  • Consumer concerns about using AI powered personal finance tools
  • How consumer AI product innovation is evolving in UK banking

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  1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

    • What you need to know
    • Outlook for AI and Financial Services
    • Opportunities
    • Ease AI concerns with human-backed AI tools
    • Improve financial outcomes with proactive AI support
    • Put customers in control of AI personalisation
  2. MARKET DRIVERS

    • Consumers and the economic outlook
    • Consumers lean on third-party AI for financial product and advice selection
    • Graph 1: AI tools used to help chose a financial product or get financial advice, 2026
    • Negative media coverage about AI is hindering its adoption in financial services
    • AI regulatory debate a source of consumer confusion
  3. THE CONSUMER

    • Use of AI in financial services
    • Adoption of AI for financial decision making is still in its early stages…
    • Graph 2: use of AI tools to support personal finance decision making, 2026
    • …but is already being normalised among younger consumers
    • AI is most likely to be used to select everyday financial products
    • Graph 3: financial products chosen with the help of an AI tool, 2026
    • Experience with AI-powered banking features
    • AI is overwhelmingly used by the under 35s in FS
    • Graph 4: use/experience of AI-powered banking features, by age, 2026
    • Leverage chatbot exposure to speed up the adoption of AI assistants
    • Graph 5: use/experience of AI-powered support chatbots or virtual assistants, by age, 2026
    • Design proactive AI money management tools so they will be used by those who need them most
    • Graph 6: use/experience with select AI-powered banking features by current financial situation, 2026
    • Comfort with AI in financial services
    • A significant minority remain uncomfortable with AI in financial services
    • Build trust with AI security and support features
    • Graph 7: comfortable with select AI-powered banking features, 2026
    • Make personalisation more personalised
    • Graph 8: comfort level with select AI-powered banking features, 2026
    • Concerns about AI and the importance of human interactions
    • Overcome concerns about a lack of human interaction
    • Human guidance preferred for big decisions but most think AI will reduce access to it
    • Graph 9: agreement with statements about AI and human assistance, 2026
    • Design AI tools that ensure easy access to humans
    • Graph 10: top concerns about financial services firms using AI, by rank from 1st to 3rd, 2026
    • How people feel about AI in financial services
    • Low trust is the biggest barrier to AI value in financial services
    • Promote AI tools through younger early adopters
    • Graph 11: agreement that AI-powered tools improve the quality of products/services offered by financial services providers, by age, 2026
    • Build trust and engagement through transparency and education
    • Graph 12: agreement with statements about financial services provider communication around the use of AI and the need to better educate about how to use AI , 2026
  4. INNOVATION AND MARKETING

    • AI financial assistant Cleo returns to the UK
    • Starling introduces AI assistant powered by Google Gemini
    • LBG unveils AI financial assistants for banking and investing
    • AIR goes beyond banking with travel planning assistance
    • NatWest launches home buying app directly into ChatGPT
    • Taking insurance to Chat GPT via integrations
  5. APPENDIX

    • Report scope definition
    • The consumer
    • Consumer research questions
    • Consumer research methodology – UK
    • UK Report generation groups definitions
    • Abbreviations

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