AI Is Breaking Banking’s Scale Advantage

The biggest competitive advantage in banking right now isn’t scale … it’s speed. According to PwC, GenAI is reshaping the balance of power across financial services, and the banks that move fastest will define the next era of growth. In fact, 58% of banking leaders believe generative and agentic AI will be the single most transformative force in the industry over the next three years, and 55% already consider it their top investment priority—more than any other sector in financial services. What’s truly disruptive is that AI is leveling the playing field. Smaller, more agile institutions now have access to the same intelligence, decision-making power, and client insights that once required massive scale. Speed—not size—is becoming the key differentiator. And this shift is pushing banks from asset-focused growth toward client-centered growth, where relevance, responsiveness, and rapid innovation drive real competitive advantage. Today, I’m joined on the Banking Transformed podcast by Sean Viergutz, Banking & Capital Markets Advisory Leader at PwC, to break down what this transformation means for leaders right now. We’ll explore how banks can redesign operating models, build new capacity for growth, and turn AI from a cost-saving tool into a true driver of client value.