At the ebankIT Summit 2025, industry leaders gathered to explore the future of banking technology and unsurprisingly, artificial intelligence (AI) took center stage. As the most talked-about innovation in recent years, AI is no longer just a buzzword; it’s rapidly becoming a foundational element of digital transformation across financial services.
In a thought-provoking panel moderated by Nuno Pereira, Technical Director at ebankIT, three representatives from leading financial institutions shared how their organizations are embracing AI, not just as a tool, but as a strategic enabler.
The conversation moved beyond hype, diving into real-world applications, challenges, and the cultural shift required to integrate AI meaningfully into banking operations.
Dorian Petrovici, Coordinating Director at Banca Transilvania, framed AI as a transformative force akin to the Industrial Revolution. What was once met with curiosity or caution is now being implemented across departments, from customer service to fraud detection, with the promise of autonomous, self-improving systems that can drive radical, non-incremental change.
Atul Varde, CIO and CDO at Servus Credit Union, outlined three key pillars where AI is already making a significant impact in banking:
AI is helping banks do things faster, cheaper, and better. From automating routine tasks to optimizing workflows, it's seen as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform operations.
Advanced models like neural networks are proving highly effective in identifying and managing risks. AI is enhancing fraud detection, compliance monitoring, and predictive analytics.
This area is split into two parts: transactional banking, where AI is already streamlining customer interactions and advisory banking, which is more complex but holds greater potential for personalized financial guidance and deeper engagement.
Dorian Petrovici from Banca Transilvania emphasized the shift in how AI is perceived. While everyone is talking about it, fewer truly understand it, and even fewer have implemented it effectively.
Still, he was clear: AI is a game changer. Technology is evolving rapidly, and its impact is already being felt across the industry.
Martin Schmid from Hypothekarkbank Lenzburg (HBL) brought a pragmatic view to the conversation. He highlighted that adopting AI is no longer optional; it’s a necessity.
Financial institutions must embrace AI not just to lead, but to keep pace with the market. As he put it: “If banks do not invest in AI, they will miss the boat.”
Building on the strategic importance of AI, Martin Schmid from HBL emphasized how AI is transforming the customer experience. From helping clients find the right products to surfacing hard-to-find information, AI is making banking more intuitive and accessible.
It also plays a growing role in personalized recommendations and product sales, enabling banks to better understand and serve their customers’ needs in real time.
But AI’s impact isn’t limited to customers, it’s also revolutionizing how employees work.
Atul Varde of Servus Credit Union highlighted that the first real access point to AI is through employees. By making their work easier and more efficient, AI becomes a powerful productivity booster.
He shared several compelling examples of how AI tools are already delivering value across departments:
- In wealth management: AI is used to automatically transcribe KYC meetings, eliminating the need for manual note-taking and saving countless hours.
- In marketing: teams have leveraged AI to create entire digital campaigns, achieving high-quality results while significantly reducing costs.
- Across the organization: AI acts as a supercharged internal search engine, helping staff quickly find documents and information that would otherwise take time to locate.
Rather than focusing on whether AI will replace jobs, Atul emphasized that the real opportunity lies in amplifying human potential.
AI is not a threat, it’s a strategic advantage. Organizations that embrace and master these tools will be far more effective than those that don’t.
I don't want to get into the debate of 'is this going to replace us?' Who knows? But what I do know is people and companies who get really good at this will be far more effective than people in companies who don't.
- Atul Varde, at ebankIT Summit 2025
As the discussion progressed, the panelists shared how their institutions are actively implementing AI, not just as a concept, but as a strategic enabler embedded across their operations.
Dorian Petrovici emphasized that successful AI adoption requires more than just technology, it demands a cultural and mindset shift.
Institutions must be willing to:
At Banca Transilvania, AI is already delivering results. The bank was one of the first in Romania to introduce AI in customer communications, using RPA and large language models.
Today, 60% of their customers interact through AI-powered self-service tools and this is just the beginning.
Dorian highlighted that AI implementation is decentralized, with multiple projects running simultaneously across departments.
One example is their wallet application, where an AI-powered chat assistant helps users navigate and understand the platform. Future initiatives include process automation and expanding AI’s role in both customer and internal operations.
Meanwhile, HBL is also making strides in AI adoption. Their focus includes:
Atul Varde echoed the importance of machine learning and shared a similar success story. One of their engineers independently learned XGBoost and trained a model using five years of fraud data.
The result was a dramatic reduction in false positives and a model that could be reused for future projects, such as the launch of the Canadian Real-Time Rail (RTR) payments.
Atul Varde also spoke about their partnership with Salesforce, which led to the development of an end-to-end AI agent for credit card services. While the use case itself was straightforward, the real value came from the team learning how to build and deploy AI solutions.
Looking ahead, they see potential in contact center optimization, where AI agents could handle routine queries and escalate complex ones to human agents, offering tremendous ROI in high-turnover environments.
As the conversation turned toward implementation strategies, moderator Nuno Pereira asked a key question: Should financial institutions rely on platforms like OpenAI and Google AI, or build their own models in-house?
Dorian Petrovici offered a clear answer: most financial institutions are opting for a hybrid model.
This approach combines the scalability and power of cloud-based platforms with the security and control of in-house development, a necessary balance when dealing with sensitive financial data.
Servus Credit Union, like many others, partners with major tech providers such as Microsoft, Salesforce, and Databricks, while also developing internal capabilities to manage core models and data securely.
This hybrid strategy allows them to scale AI initiatives while maintaining compliance and control.
But technology alone isn’t enough. Dorian emphasized that the most critical enabler for scaling AI is talent. Institutions need to invest in people who not only have the technical skills but also the right mindset to drive AI forward.
This includes:
Ultimately, the panel agreed that AI is not just a technology investment but a strategic, cultural, and human one.
The financial institutions that succeed will be those that combine the best tools with the best people and build systems that are not only powerful but also trustworthy and adaptable.
I may say something that may sound counterintuitive, but I think that I will make us more human because it will take us away [from] the tasks that we repeat.
- Dorian Petrovici at ebankIT Summit 2025
This sentiment was echoed by Martin Schmid from HBL, who noted that while many banks are closing branches, HBL is doing the opposite. They are investing in physical locations.
The reason? Personal relationships still matter, and AI can support, not substitute, those interactions. With the right tools in place, employees can spend less time on administrative work and more time building trust with customers.
AI should be seen as a facilitator, not a replacement. With the right controls, governance, and mindset, banks can harness AI’s power while minimizing its risks.
Despite digital transformation, trust remains the core currency of banking. Trust is inherently human, and AI should enhance and not replace human interaction, especially in traditional financial institutions like HBL, Banca Transilvania, or Servus Credit Union, human contact remains essential, even for younger, digital-first generations.