Only 11% of banks have cracked the code on trustworthy AI: study

GCC

Only 11% of banks have cracked the code on trustworthy AI: study

Apr 7, 2026 4:37 PM

Even as AI spending surges, few banks have established the necessary governance and guardrails – and nearly half misjudge their own AI readiness, says a study.

In banking, trust isn't optional – it's everything. Yet, even as banks accelerate AI investment faster than other sectors, most are deploying AI without the oversight and infrastructure needed to earn that trust, says a new study.

The new banking insights from SAS’ Data and AI Impact Report: The Trust Imperative, with research insights by IDC, says banking outpaces government, insurance and life sciences both in AI spending and adoption of trustworthy AI practices. In fact, about one-quarter (23%) of banks operate at the highest level of IDC’s Trustworthy AI Index. But even with these advantages, most banking institutions fall far short of the report’s “ideal state,” which combines high trust with high trustworthiness. According to the report:

• Only 11% of banks have achieved both high internal confidence in AI and AI systems that are demonstrably trustworthy.

• Nearly half (47%) fall into what IDC calls the “trust dilemma” – either underusing reliable AI because they don’t sufficiently trust it or over-relying on AI systems that haven’t been adequately validated.

“On trustworthy AI, banking leads every sector in this study – and even so, most banks’ foundational readiness is nowhere near where it needs to be,” said Stu Bradley, Senior Vice President of Risk, Fraud and Compliance Solutions at SAS. “Roughly nine in 10 banks have yet to fully align trust with proof, and about one in five are still running on siloed data. Closing the gap between AI ambition and AI readiness should be a top-down priority for all banks.”

As the UAE’s Vision 2031 and wider digital transformation efforts continue to gain momentum, banks across the Middle East are increasingly adopting advanced technologies to improve efficiency, strengthen resilience, and deliver better customer experiences.