2024-2025: A pivotal year for the banking industry and AI

The year 2024 marked a turning point for the banking and financial sector, facing major challenges: global economic slowdown, persistent inflation, rising interest rates and geopolitical tensions . Faced with these turbulences, artificial intelligence (AI) has established itself as a strategic lever , allowing institutions to adapt to a constantly changing environment.
‍

The global AI market, valued at $136 billion in 2024 (Business Research Insights, 2025), is growing at a rapid pace and is expected to reach $1.81 trillion by 2030 , an increase of over 850% in less than a decade (Grand View Research, 2025). This expansion is driven by massive adoption in key sectors such as finance, healthcare, and manufacturing, as well as major advances in deep learning, natural language processing (NLP), and innovative technology infrastructures.
       

In this context, AI is now one of the five most promising investment sectors for 2025 (Forbes, 2025), alongside clean energy, health technology, cybersecurity and advanced manufacturing . Its rapid adoption in strategic industries reinforces its attractiveness , while its estimated annual growth rate of 35-40% (PwC, 2025) far exceeds that of cybersecurity (12-15%) and clean energy (~10%).      
‍

While AI remains a more modest market in size ($136 billion in 2024) compared to sectors such as health ($10.3 trillion) and energy ($7 trillion) (WHO, 2024), its economic potential is colossal . Indeed, AI-based technologies could generate $15.7 trillion in economic impact by 2030 (PwC, 2025), surpassing many traditional sectors in added value. Finally, major market players , such as NVIDIA, Microsoft and Palantir , are consolidating their position through technological advances and strategic acquisitions (Forbes, 2025), making AI a key driver of global economic transformation.
       

Revolut, the online bank serving over 35 million customers worldwide, is innovating with an advanced AI-powered scam detection feature. The technology uses cutting-edge machine learning to identify suspicious transactions, block risky payments, and guide customers through verification steps to prevent fraud.
‍

Since its launch, this feature has helped reduce losses from credit card scams by 30% , while maintaining customers’ freedom to make legitimate payments. In 2023, 59% of losses from Authorised Push Payment (APP) scams came from investment scams, but Revolut is proving that well-designed AI can turn this around, effectively protecting users’ finances.

‍

AI is not limited to security. In investment banking, it helps predict market trends and detect anomalies such as fraud or human error. In compliance, it simplifies the management of complex regulations, such as MiFID II or EMIR, by automating reporting and detecting discrepancies, saving time and resources for institutions.
‍

The integration of artificial general intelligence (AGI) takes these advances even further. By leveraging intelligent algorithms capable of analyzing vast volumes of real-time data—from news articles to social feeds to historical data—AGI identifies market trends, opportunities, and anomalies with unprecedented accuracy. It provides investors with a significant competitive advantage and streamlines regulatory processes by automating the monitoring and management of complex standards.
‍

Robo -advisors , another example of applied AI, complete this picture by offering automated and personalized financial recommendations, adapted to each client’s profile. These tools, like AGI, reduce human bias, accelerate decision-making and increase customer satisfaction.
‍

By combining technological innovation and process optimization, AI and AGI are redefining performance and compliance standards in finance. However, these advances come with ethical and regulatory challenges that require careful attention to ensure responsible adoption.

‍

Europe is playing a crucial role in the global technological revolution, but it faces major challenges. Despite an overall estimate of the artificial intelligence market at $190 billion in 2025 and a projection of reaching $1.81 trillion by 2030 (source: Statista, 2025; Grand View Research, 2025) , the continent is struggling to compete with the massive investments made in the United States and China.  
‍

European companies, although innovative, remain hampered by a regulatory environment considered restrictive. These challenges are added to the investment gap, estimated at €270 billion compared to the United States, according to the Draghi report . This delay could erode Europe's ability to attract talent and maintain its competitiveness.
‍

Despite these obstacles, Europe continues to leverage its position in developing technology infrastructure. Companies like Netherlands-based ASML are playing a central role with their extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines, which are essential for manufacturing high-performance AI chips. Meanwhile, efforts are being made to reduce data center energy consumption and support advances in sustainable AI.
‍

To avoid being left behind, Europe needs to step up its investments in research and innovation, simplify its regulatory frameworks and promote greater collaboration between public and private actors. The adoption of AI on the continent is essential to fully exploit the opportunities offered by this growing market and maintain a key role on the international stage.

‍

While AI offers significant opportunities, it also comes with major challenges. Algorithms can increase market volatility, and ethical issues such as data privacy and algorithmic bias need to be addressed seriously. In cybersecurity, AI can be a double-edged sword, capable of protecting systems while also being exploited for malicious purposes.
‍

Rigorous governance, combined with strengthened human control, is essential to fully leverage the benefits of AI while limiting its excesses. Regulators, such as the ACPR in France, are already working to establish clear frameworks to avoid any imbalance.

‍

Banks and financial institutions that integrate AI into their strategies will not only survive in a complex environment; they will thrive. Whether it’s strengthening security, predicting trends, or optimizing processes, AI is paving the way for more agile and efficient finance.
‍

But this transformation requires more than just a technological investment. It requires a clear vision, organizational adaptation and ethical data management. Industry leaders will need to be bold, but also responsible, to build a future where AI, far from replacing humans, will enrich their role in an increasingly connected world.

RSM . (2024). Generative AI, a challenge for finance functions?
‍

Bréhier, Bertrand . (2019). Artificial intelligence: what impacts for financial markets ?. Revue Banque, section AI and finance.