Global banks step up AI communications

A growing number of global banks are stepping up their communication efforts around artificial intelligence (AI), signalling progress to investors and showing measurable returns, according to the latest Evident AI Leadership Report.

The report, which tracks AI-related disclosures among major financial institutions, reveals that 70% of the world’s largest banks are now actively sharing updates on their AI strategies through press releases, social media, and Investor Relations (IR) channels.

Furthermore, almost one-third (30%) of these banks are disclosing specific AI use cases and returns on investment (ROI) to their investors. Half of the banks fielded AI-related questions during their most recent earnings calls, reflecting a sharp increase in investor interest in AI progress.

UK banks lead the AI communication surge

Banks headquartered in the UK have seen the most dramatic rise in AI-related communications, with references to AI nearly tripling over the past year, a 193% increase. This surge puts UK banks ahead of their European counterparts, surpassing regions like France and drawing closer to the frequency of AI mentions seen in the US and APAC regions.

While UK banks saw the highest year-over-year growth in AI mentions, APAC banks remain the most vocal overall, with an average of 44 AI references across public communications—nearly double the global average.

Executives at six banks dominate AI narrative

Despite the broad-based increase in AI communications, leadership at just six global banking giants—JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, UBS, Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America—dominated the media conversation around AI. JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon stood out as the most prominent voice, mentioned 8.5 times more than any other banking leader in AI discussions.

Evident’s report also highlights that 45 of the 50 banks in its AI Index now have at least one C-Suite executive publicly discussing AI, with 15 banks having multiple AI spokespeople at the executive level. Notably, banks such as DBS, CaixaBank, Goldman Sachs, and JPMorgan Chase feature at least four senior leaders actively engaging in AI discussions.

A shift towards tangible AI updates

Evident’s findings underscore a shift from abstract discussions about AI potential to more substantive updates, with 15 of the banks now describing specific AI use cases in production and their associated ROI—representing a 2.5x increase from last year. This trend reflects banks’ growing confidence in their AI initiatives as they move up the AI maturity curve, supported by increasingly robust systems for tracking and reporting on AI progress.

“Last year, not all banks were ready to communicate their AI activities with confidence. The contrast between now and then is stark. We’re seeing more banks take an organized, synchronised approach to AI communications to showcase their progress with customers, investors, employees and prospective talent.”

Regional AI leaders and banks to watch

Singapore’s DBS Bank, Australia’s CommBank, and Canada’s RBC were identified as having the strongest overall AI narrative based on the volume and substance of their AI communications. Evident also flagged Barclays (UK), Citigroup (US), and NAB (Australia) as institutions to watch, given their recent surge in AI-related content across annual reports, press releases, and LinkedIn posts.

Evident’s analysis covered 50 of the world’s largest banks over a 12-month period from August 2023 to August 2024, during which these institutions made over 1,250 references to AI—representing a 59% year-on-year increase. In particular, AI mentions in banks’ annual reports increased by 62% during this time, with European banks leading the charge, contributing 31% of these references.

As banks continue to balance innovation with transparency, investors will increasingly look to AI communications as a key metric for assessing their future competitiveness and ability to harness emerging technologies for business impact.