The banking industry is at the forefront of rapid, ongoing innovation, and that’s forcing a rethink of what “good” looks like when it comes to delivering AI. Leaders’ conversations have moved on from if to how: How do you weave AI into complex, tightly regulated environments without slowing down or losing trust?
According to Forbes, “The global AI in fintech market reached $30 billion in 2025 and is projected to surge to $83.1 billion by 2030.” And it’s not just hype —JPMorgan Chase is already spending about $2 billion a year on AI.
As banks push to embed intelligence into products and workflows, the challenge isn’t a lack of ambition. It’sthe sheer volume of opportunities, the difficulty of scaling beyond pilotprojects and the need to deliver reliable, customer‑ready solutions quickly.
However, custom development alone can’t keep up. Many institutions are turning to strategic AI partnerships —working with platforms already proven in banking —to accelerate from idea to production. The right partners help banks move faster, streamline integration and bring scalable intelligence to market without compromising trust.
Take NatWest, for example. They have partnered with OpenAI to develop their capabilities, including a customer-facing chatbot, Cora, and an in-house assistant, AskArchie. According to the bank, the former has already led to a 150% improvement in customer satisfaction levels.
So, how can more banks take advantage of partnerships to accelerate implementation and results with AI?
The benefits of partnerships in the race to AI adoption
Partnerships are a huge success factor in AI adoption. They allow banks to go to market more quicklywith products that are visiblyuseful.
Finding the right partner among the many AI startups doesn’t have to be complicated. At NTT DATA,we bridge the gap between what’s available on the market and what AI-ready banks offer, helping our clients identify the tools and technology that meet their needs.
And with one leading partner in place, there is no need to onboard multiple partners.Thatremoves thee friction of complex onboarding while maintaining due diligence. In short, the right guide opens the right doors.
Shared expertise, accountability and outcomes
Designing custom tools takes time, but also a level of expertise and experience that many banks are still refining in-house. When they have access to prebuilt AI programs, they can skip the challenges of the development stage and move straight to implementation.
Our partnership leads banks through the full AI adoption process, including joint problem definition to find the best use cases, shared success metrics to track progress, and long-term capability uplift to ensure investment pays off. Their success is our success.
Competitiveness
Partnering with AI providers gives banks immediate access to the tools, knowledge and experience they need to make their AI plans a reality. These ready-for-market programs help them remain competitive in the era of AI as other banks and financial institutions also develop their AI capabilities.
Access to AI tools is increasingly a deciding factor for consumers, and banks can’t afford to be seen as falling behind the times. They don’t want to miss out on the latest technology. For example, Mastercard’s AI-powered Consumer Fraud Risk (CFR) solution aims to stop scams before they happen. Initial testing of this technology found an average improvement of 60% in the identification of high-risk mule accounts.
Scalability
Building an augmentation layer with the help of AI partners allows banks to increase productivity in multiple areas concurrently or in quick succession. They don’t have to develop each product individually but can choose all the ones they need and start implementation. Building an AI layer rather than siloed products ensures integration and connectivity, which is necessary for maximum productivity gains.
This AI layer expands scalability in other ways, too. AI platforms are largely cloud-native, and the sheer velocity and processing power of cloud elevate banks’ operational capability, especially if they build cross-functional partnerships with hyperscalers.
Cost-effective and long-term value
Working with partners makes the cost of an AI innovation project much easier to manage. As most of the development has been taken care of, there are less likely to be delays or issues with unsuitable products. Organizations can choose the products they want to implement based on their needs and budget, and trust not only that these will work but also that they will have a tangible impact on the business.
Beyond initial cost optimization, one of our main aims when working with financial institutions on AI adoption is establishing long-term value so that investment today turns into efficiencies, gains and profit tomorrow.
As mentioned, JPMorgan Chase is spending about $2 billion a year on AI — but their savings from this innovation total about the same. Banks now need to tip the scales so they aren’t just breaking even.
Customization
The plug-and-play approach allows banks to enjoy the benefits of prebuilt programs while keeping space for customization. The tools that banks choose to create their augmentation layer form the building blocks of their ideal AI support.
When AI is fed organization-specific data, it will develop to serve personalized needs. That’s the nature of the successful partnership NatWest has established with OpenAI. They get early access to products as well as bespoke consultancy.
Building your own AI augmentation ecosystem
AI has many uses in the banking and financial services industry. Embedding it into multiple departments at once through an augmentation layer uplifts an organization and helps deliver the gains from this innovation.
When you’re customizing your own ecosystem, consider introducing AI support to the following areas:
Operations
Improve efficiency in your front, middle and back office with AI-powered workflow automation. AI programs can be trained to autonomously support even complex processes in line with best practices and regulations. Repetitive tasks are handled in the background, and complex tasks are prioritized as needed.
Employee experience
As well as automating some processes, AI tools can support employees to make their jobs easier. For example, analysts and compliance specialists can use AI to recognize signals faster and then respond appropriately. They gain access to data and insights that allow them to move fast and thrive in their roles.
Customer service
AI customer service agents have transformed contact centers. They have been performing particularly well as a triage point, gathering the information needed to get customers the right support at the right time. They can also analyze interactions to support conflict management andsuggest responses that will deescalate tensionsin the moment.
Engineering
AI can also play a role in software maintenance and development, supporting the software development lifecycle, coding and legacy modernization. AI-based project estimation tools, design tools, coding assistants, test environments and more streamline the process to reduce both timescales and errors.
Make the AI connection
The goal of engaging with fintech AI is clear and achievable: Do more with less money. We’ve seen it with NatWest, using AI tools to serve their customers better. We’ve seen it with Mastercard, detecting signs of fraudulent activity earlier. More success stories are being reported all the time because the applications, platforms and programs are already available on the market.
NTT DATA is the connecting piece. We have a trusted ecosystem of AI providers and extensive experience in enterprise-level digital transformation specific to the financial sector. We match organizations with their best-suited AI providers and use our expertise to customize their augmentation layers before implementing them with an informed approach to change management.
From technology choices to uptake concerns, we lead the way to successful and fast-paced AI adoption. How can we help you?
WHAT TO DO NEXT
Read more about NTT DATA’s Banking and Financial Services to see how our digital solutions can help your organization make the most of AI.