Why Are European Finance Firms Under Pressure To Use AI?

Artificial intelligence has become a high priority on the agenda inside European finance companies. A Bloomberg survey of more than 300 senior decision makers shows that many leaders connect AI directly to money, relevance, and competitive standing.

Nearly half of those surveyed said their businesses could lose market share if they fall behind on AI use. According to Bloomberg, 75% believe the biggest risk of falling back comes from losing profit or becoming obsolete.

This view tells a story on how attitudes have hardened over a short period. AI discussions once sat closer to long term research. Now they link closely to day to day trading, asset management, and client activity.

Bloomberg found that only 6% of respondents believe AI receives more attention than it deserves. That small share means most leaders see real commercial weight behind the technology rather than hype.

Bloomberg gathered the responses through live audience polling at its events across Europe from September to November 2025.

Locations included Frankfurt, Milan, Luxembourg, Madrid, and London. These events formed part of Bloomberg’s Future of Finance series and its Investment Management Summit.

More than 300 senior decision makers took part. Participants came from buy side and sell side finance businesses, giving a broad snapshot of opinion across European financial services.

What Do Finance Leaders Expect Agentic AI To Change?

Views on agentic AI show how differently firms see the next stage of automation. Bloomberg reports that 46% of respondents expect this type of AI to bring incremental automation during the next three years.

For this group, change looks practical. Tasks such as internal checks, reporting, and data handling stand out as areas where software can take on more work without removing human oversight.

Another 37% expect deeper change. According to Bloomberg, these leaders believe agentic AI will alter workflows and decision making across their businesses.

That belief points to systems that influence choices rather than only support them. The distance between these two groups shows how uneven confidence sits across finance firms.

Are Firms Already Seeing Results From AI Use?

Many finance leaders say AI already delivers results that can be measured. Bloomberg found that 40% of respondents report clear business gains from AI already in use.

These gains tend to be behind the scenes. Faster internal processes, stronger data use, and smoother coordination across teams appear often in discussions at finance events. Negative experiences appear rare with only 1% of respondents saying that AI led to poor outcomes, according to Bloomberg.

This low figure helps explain why confidence stays high even among firms that move carefully. Many leaders prefer to keep pace with peers rather than move first. Bloomberg found that 37% of respondents describe their firms as moving alongside the rest of the market rather than leading.

Amanda Stent, Head of AI Strategy & Research in the CTO Office at Bloomberg: “Financial institutions clearly see AI as both a strategic necessity and a competitive differentiator. While firms are cautious about the speed and scale of change this technology is introducing, few doubt its potential for long-term impact or the measurable advantage it can deliver. The next phase will be defined by how effectively, not just how quickly, institutions can scale AI across their core operations while embedding the governance, controls, and accountability required for its responsible deployment.”