Financial Services Struggle to Convert AI Spend Into Results

Financial services firms face an AI investment paradox

Financial services organizations are pouring resources into artificial intelligence technology, yet many cannot demonstrate clear business returns from those investments. As AI moves beyond pilot projects toward enterprise-wide deployment, human resources leaders confront fundamental questions about workforce design, talent strategy, and the evolving value of human capabilities in AI-augmented environments.

Mercer and Oliver Wyman are addressing these challenges in an upcoming webinar focused on the disconnect between AI spending and measurable outcomes in financial services. The session will examine how AI is reshaping work design and skills requirements, and offer practical frameworks for building effective teams that combine human and AI capabilities.

Why it matters

The gap between AI investment and proven impact represents more than a technology problem—it signals that existing workforce models may be fundamentally misaligned with AI-enabled operations. Financial services firms risk wasting substantial capital if they deploy AI without rethinking how work is structured, which skills matter most, and how to balance automation with human judgment. HR leaders who address these questions now will position their organizations to extract real value from AI rather than accumulating expensive but underutilized tools.

Real-world lessons from BBVA's transformation

The webinar will feature insights from Checa Pardo, Head of Strategy in Talent and Culture at BBVA, who will detail the bank's AI transformation journey. Pardo's presentation will cover how BBVA is evolving its workforce, talent practices, and operational approaches to succeed as AI becomes central to the business.

Key questions for HR leaders

The session will tackle several critical issues facing chief human resources officers and talent leaders:

• Whether current workforce models and talent strategies remain viable as AI capabilities expand
• How to redesign work when AI can handle tasks previously requiring human judgment
• Which human capabilities become more valuable—not less—in AI-augmented environments
• How to structure hybrid teams that maximize the combined value of people and AI systems

The webinar targets CHROs, heads of HR, chief people officers, talent acquisition leaders, and workforce transformation executives responsible for aligning people strategy with technology adoption.

From experimentation to execution

As AI adoption shifts from experimental phase to operational reality, financial services organizations need concrete approaches rather than theoretical frameworks. The Mercer and Oliver Wyman session promises practical guidance based on market research and examples from organizations already implementing AI at scale, including specific actions HR leaders should prioritize.

Details of the webinar were published by Mercer.