Ai Usage In Finance | Lambda Finance
Fifty nine percent of finance leaders now use AI regularly in their core functions. This report shows exactly how that usage breaks down and what the patterns mean for teams trying to move beyond pilots.
The Lambda Finance team pulled together the latest public figures from the 2025 Gartner AI in Finance Survey of 183 senior leaders, the McKinsey State of AI report, Deloitte enterprise surveys, and supporting data through December 2025. We focused on actual day to day usage rather than just plans or pilots. You will see the headline rates, where usage is heaviest, how it has changed over time, and the gaps that still hold many firms back. These benchmarks help leaders spot where their own teams stand and decide where to push next.
AI Usage Rate in Finance Functions, 2025
| Category | Usage Rate (%) |
|---|---|
| All finance leaders | 59 |
| Large banks over 100 billion | 75 |
| Mid size institutions | 52 |
| Insurance carriers | 48 |
Usage sits at 59 percent overall, with the biggest firms pulling ahead. The numbers matter because they separate the leaders from the pack. Larger banks have the resources and data pipelines to push AI into daily work faster. The 23 point gap shows that scale still counts, but mid size players close it when they focus on one or two high impact areas first. If your rate sits below 55 percent, the data suggests starting small with one repeatable process rather than spreading efforts too thin.
Most Common Areas of AI Usage in Finance
We combined survey responses to rank where teams actually apply the technology today.
| Application | % of Firms Using Regularly |
|---|---|
| Fraud detection and monitoring | 68 |
| Risk assessment and credit | 55 |
| Customer service automation | 52 |
| Reporting and data analysis | 47 |
Fraud leads because it delivers quick, measurable wins that boards notice right away. Risk and customer tools follow closely since they touch both protection and revenue every single day.
What stands out is how usage clusters around tasks that once took hours of manual review. Teams that measure time saved in these areas report they can redirect staff to client work or new product ideas. The pattern matters because it points to clear priorities. If your projects sit outside the top four, the figures suggest testing them in a limited pilot first to prove value before wider rollout.
Growth in Regular AI Usage Over Time
| Year | Usage Rate (%) |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 37 |
| 2024 | 58 |
| 2025 | 59 |
The jump from 2023 to 2024 was sharp, but growth slowed last year.
These figures matter because they show the easy wins are now in place for most firms. The plateau at 59 percent tells us many organizations have moved past experiments and settled into steady use. The slowdown also highlights that the next gains will come from deeper integration rather than simply switching tools on. Teams that track usage monthly rather than yearly tend to spot small improvements faster and keep momentum alive.
AI Usage by Department Within Finance Teams
| Department | % Reporting Regular Use |
|---|---|
| Operations and compliance | 64 |
| Treasury and forecasting | 51 |
| Corporate finance | 46 |
| Investor relations | 39 |
Operations leads because rules and processes lend themselves to automation. Treasury follows as forecasting tools improve with better data feeds.
The spread matters because it shows where daily pain points drive adoption fastest. Departments that handle high volume repetitive work reach higher usage sooner. The lower numbers in investor relations point to the need for more human judgment in those areas. If your department sits below 50 percent, the data suggests looking at one simple workflow first, such as automated report drafts, to build confidence before tackling bigger projects.
Related Resources
For the dollar impact see our report on AI in Finance Market Size. Teams looking for practical examples can review Examples of AI in Finance or Use Cases of Generative AI in Financial Services. Those tracking broader trends may want Fintech Adoption Rate or Global Fintech Market Size. For ROI benchmarks and returns, see our The ROI of AI in Financial Services.
In summary, AI usage in finance has reached 59 percent among leaders in 2025, with fraud detection, risk work, and customer automation seeing the heaviest daily activity. Large firms lead while mid size players catch up when they focus efforts. Growth has steadied after the big 2023 to 2024 leap, and the next wave will come from tighter integration across departments. Firms that measure real usage, not just licenses purchased, and keep humans in the final decision loop pull ahead.
If you need a custom usage snapshot for your team or help turning these numbers into a focused plan, the team at Lambda Finance is ready. The data is already compiled and waiting.