AI in finance: Progress, barriers, and the road ahead

AI adoption in the financial services industry is widespread, but many firms struggle to move beyond pilot projects into full production. The decisive barrier to scaling AI is a lack of trust, stemming from concerns around data quality, validation, and the ability to meet strict regulatory oversight. While AI excels at automating repetitive tasks and supporting decisions through copilots, it cannot guarantee accuracy or replace governance on its own. Moving from pilots to production requires a focus on orchestration, domain expertise, and building systems with built-in validation and controls to earn trust and deliver measurable value.