S&P publishes a survey on AI in 179 financial institutions

S&P Global Ratings released the results of its survey on AI adoption and governance in financial institutions on September 21, 2026. The rating agency believes that AI integration and the quality of its oversight could strengthen or weaken institutions’ creditworthiness in the coming years.

The survey covered 179 financial institutions surveyed in June 2026, Bloomberg reports. The creditworthiness in question is that of these institutions—in other words, their ability to meet their financial obligations.

According to S&P’s findings reported by Business Money, 8% of respondents report having AI solutions deployed across their institution. An AI governance framework is reported by 69% of respondents, while 39% mention board-level oversight.

AI oversight is thus reported much more frequently than deployment across the entire institution. These indicators distinguish how controls are organized from the extent of AI use. They describe respondents’ reported practices without establishing an effect on their creditworthiness.

Potential gains in core activities

Miriam Fernandez, an S&P analyst quoted by Business Money, links potential gains in efficiency and risk management to a mature strategy and the integration of AI into core activities. The agency therefore sees the expected benefits as dependent on how institutions integrate and control their tools.

Under this reasoning, more efficient operations could reduce operating costs, while better risk management could limit losses. These effects would contribute to an institution’s ability to meet its debt obligations. It is through these operational outcomes that the potential gains could translate into financial strength.

S&P also identifies data readiness as an obstacle to AI adoption, alongside regulatory and governance constraints. Operational readiness is therefore among the factors that the agency considers likely to affect institutions’ future creditworthiness.