AI Set to Redefine 40% of Banking Work by 2030: What Financial Leaders Need to Know Now

40% of Banking Work Will Shift Due to AI by 2030, Says ThoughtLinks CEO

By 2030, nearly 40% of banking technology, operations, and knowledge work will be transformed by artificial intelligence (AI). This projection comes from ThoughtLinks, a strategic advisory firm led by banking executive Sumeet Chabria, based on an analysis of almost 5,000 banking processes. The shift is already in motion, signaling significant changes ahead for financial institutions.

This transformation is driven by the merging of generative and agentic AI, democratized data, cloud-native infrastructure, and intelligent automation. Together, these forces are reshaping how work gets done and who performs it. A new class of AI agents—“digital workers”—is emerging to partner with humans and enhance their capabilities.

“AI is increasingly embedded within vendor systems and platforms, even if not yet fully activated,” says Chabria. “This quietly accelerates structural change beneath the surface.”

A Practical Blueprint for AI-Driven Value Creation

To thrive in this shifting landscape, banks need a clear strategy focused on four pillars that drive sustainable value:

• AI-First Technology Strategy
• Enterprise-Wide Transformation
• Growth and Efficiency through AI
• Future-Ready Workforce Strategies

Aligning these pillars helps banks move beyond isolated AI projects and embed the technology into their core business functions.

How AI Is Already Changing Banking Operations

AI is reshaping every area of banking. Agentic AI, which acts autonomously and collaborates with people, complements banking’s relationship-focused model by enhancing interactions and expanding capacity.

• Consumer Banking: Virtual assistants predict customer needs, respond to inquiries, and recommend next steps.
• Wealth Management: AI integrates client data, preferences, and portfolio metrics to provide personalized insights and support advisors.
• Credit and Lending: Conversational AI simplifies complex applications, identifies risks early, and speeds up approvals.
• Customer Service: Intelligent agents handle routine requests, cutting costs and improving customer experience.
• Risk and Compliance: Real-time monitoring of transactions and communications detects anomalies and escalates threats, forming a new enterprise defense line.
• Global Markets: AI aids analysts and traders by summarizing data, curating signals, and stress-testing investment ideas.

In technology and operations—where nearly half a bank’s workforce and suppliers operate—AI is changing software development lifecycles and service models. Human roles are evolving to work alongside AI-enabled processes, prompting banks to rethink supplier strategies, operating models, and contracts.

Key Questions for Banking Leaders

The scale of AI-driven change raises important considerations:

• Growth & Efficiency: How to scale AI while ensuring measurable returns?
• Operations: Which processes should transition to AI? How to simplify enterprise systems? How to modernize global capability centers?
• Risk & Controls: How to build smarter safeguards and maintain adaptive guardrails as automation increases?
• Talent & Culture: Which tasks will AI impact, and when? How to redefine roles and promote AI as an opportunity for growth?

Successful leadership in this environment requires clarity on priorities, building new capabilities, trusting informed judgment, and uniting teams around a steady vision.

Preparing for 2030 and Beyond

Banking institutions must move past isolated AI deployments and systematically assess how AI affects daily work. Continuous alignment of technology with business goals will separate leaders from followers.

“The winners will not just implement AI—they will redesign their organizations around it,” Chabria emphasizes. “Their edge will come from boosting both people and performance, keeping human ingenuity at the core of progress.”

About ThoughtLinks

ThoughtLinks is a strategic advisory firm focusing on AI strategy, enterprise transformation, and innovation in banking and capital markets. Led by CEO Sumeet Chabria and made up of former global C-suite executives, the firm partners with Fortune 500 companies to drive AI-powered growth, efficiency, and workforce transformation. ThoughtLinks connects business needs with advanced technology and top talent across financial services, empowering human potential.