Banks shift towards human-AI workforce model, nCino research reveals

By Puja Sharma

Banks Are Moving to a Dual Workforce Model, nCino’s Inaugural AI in Banking Benchmark Shows

• Nearly 9 in 10 senior banking executives say AI Agents are the future, but only 1 in 5 are currently tying it to revenue
• Barriers remain to turn AI momentum into measurable ROI

nCino, Inc., the platform for agentic AI banking, released its inaugural “nCino AI in Banking Benchmark,” which revealed that the majority of bankers (89%) see a future defined by a dual workforce of AI agents and humans within five years.

While institutions have made meaningful progress in adopting AI and defining strategy, many are still working to translate that activity into business outcomes, marking a pivotal shift from exploring various use cases to utilising it as a strategic growth enabler at scale. In fact, the report found that only 21% of respondents indicated that they are currently tying their AI investments to increased revenue.

“As AI adoption accelerates, this report reveals that banking leaders are rethinking how work gets done, increasingly moving to a dual workforce of AI agents and humans,” said Sean Desmond, Chief Executive Officer at nCino. “The next phase is turning that motion into real momentum, ensuring AI investments deliver measurable business outcomes. That requires treating AI not just as a technology initiative, but as a transformation of how institutions operate, compete and serve their customers.”

AI Has Moved to the Core of the Banking Enterprise

AI is now firmly embedded in banking operations, with the majority of institutions utilising it at an enterprise level (84%). What began as experimentation has evolved into everyday integration, with the report showing 91% of respondents say it enables their time to be spent on higher value or customer-facing work.

This shift is being accelerated by agentic AI, which is already reshaping roles across the organisation and laying the foundation for a dual workforce model. According to the report, 84% of bankers say it has already significantly changed how most banking roles operate and 89% expect to be working alongside AI agents within the next five years.

AI Adoption Is Outpacing Accountability

The report reveals that while most banks (91%) have defined AI strategies, many are still early in linking those investments to KPIs. A majority (81%) of executives prioritise adoption over return on investment, with relatively few tying AI initiatives to cost reduction (26%) or revenue growth (21%). As a result, many organisations remain in motion—without yet achieving the momentum needed to drive sustained business impact.

Confidence in Data is High—But There are Cracks Beneath It

One of the primary barriers to translating AI momentum into business impact is data. The survey shows that the majority (87%) of banking executives feel confident about their ability to access good, quality data—good news for AI adoption. Yet nearly all (93%) cite at least one data governance challenge, including:

• Data siloed across systems (52%)
• Compromised data integrity (41%)
• Inconsistent or incomplete data (37%)
• Poor data quality (34%)

Against this backdrop, the report found that 94% of executives say a fully integrated, end-to-end AI solution could deliver more value to their organisation.

“ConnectOne has consistently operated among the top-performing institutions for efficiency, and we take pride in working with partners like nCino that help us continue to enhance that efficiency as we scale,” said Frank Sorrentino, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ConnectOne Bank. “As the pace of technological change accelerates, the institutions best positioned to lead will be those that rethink how they operate, apply modern solutions with purpose, and work with partners who can help translate innovation into meaningful outcomes for clients, teams, and shareholders.”