Banking on trust: AI governance for growth, resilience and scale
Banks are accelerating AI initiatives, but governance is struggling to keep pace. Deloitte Access Economics’ latest research shows that stronger AI governance is linked to broader AI deployment and higher revenue growth, positioning governance as a growth enabler rather than a brake on innovation.
As adoption moves from experimentation to enterprise-wide deployment, banks are unlocking efficiency gains and new growth opportunities, while also facing increasing data, regulatory, cyber and reputational risks.
In this paper, Deloitte benchmarks AI governance maturity across Global and Domestic Systemically Important Banks (G-SIBs and D-SIBs), as well as other large banks, using Deloitte’s Trustworthy AI Governance Index. The index provides a snapshot of how global banks are progressing across key dimensions, including principles and policies, organisational structure, procedures and controls, people and skills, and monitoring, reporting and evaluation.
The findings suggest that while progress has been made, most banks still have significant room to strengthen their governance frameworks. The research also explores the link between AI governance and revenue outcomes and outlines practical steps for leading governance transformation.
Key takeaways
- Adoption rising, maturity lagging: 63% of bank employees use AI weekly; 87% of banks could significantly improve governance, with only 13% at leading maturity stage.
- Risk and trust pressures: In the first half of 2026, the financial services industry reported more AI incidents than in all of 2025. 84% of consumers say they would switch providers if their data were mishandled.
- Organisational and talent gaps: Organisational structure is the least mature dimension, while workforce capability continues to lag, limiting the consistent application of AI governance.
- Governance lagging emerging AI risks: Governance maturity is not keeping pace with newer forms of AI, with weaker monitoring and oversight for more autonomous systems.
- Governance drives growth: Stronger AI governance supports wider deployment, stronger revenue growth and more confident scaling.
84% of consumers would switch providers if their data was mishandled by their financial institution
Only 15% of banks provide regularly refreshed AI governance training to all staff
The annual number of AI incidents for financial services increased by nearly eight times between 2022 and 2025
One-third of global banks still rely on ad hoc training or provide no AI governance training at all
The average revenue growth uplift from a 10 point increase in Trustworthy AI governance Index score
How can banks close the AI governance gap?
- Make governance a precondition for scale, not a check at the end
- Put visible executive accountability at the centre
- Treat AI as a transversal risk driver, not a standalone issue
- Move from ‘human in the loop’ to ‘human on the loop’
- Create a risk-reward culture around AI
Methodology
In 2026, Deloitte’s Trustworthy AI team surveyed 24 leaders from G-SIBs and D-SIBs across 14 countries to assess the maturity level of AI governance structure.
Following this a survey of 111 senior technology, AI and data employees for G-SIBs, D-SIBs and other large banks captured additional perspectives across 16 countries. Data was collected using two purpose-built survey instruments designed to capture the perspective across the global banks, securing a total of 135 respondents.
