FT Global Banking Summit 2025: A glimpse at the future of banking

The forces that are changing global banking

Over three days of keynotes, panels and closed-door sessions, a few themes rose clearly to the surface.

First, the era of experimentation is over. Banks are shifting from pilot projects and proofs of concept to real execution, with AI central to how banks run their operations.

But there was also a strong note of caution. Innovation without trust is a short-lived advantage. Leaders spoke openly about the need for solid governance, clear ethical guardrails and tight regulatory alignment.

The summit also highlighted that digital assets and tokenization are moving toward the core of financial infrastructure. At the same time, geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty continues to influence strategic decisions. And perhaps most critically, the industry is grappling with how to reskill its workforce for an AI-enabled future.

It was clear that the next chapter in banking will be defined by how well organizations coordinate AI, people and purpose to turn ambition into action.

AI ethics, safeguards and governance by design

One of the most talked-about sessions at the summit tackled a question many banks are still wrestling with: How do you move fast with AI without losing control?

During the panel "AI Ethics, Safeguards and Governance Priorities," senior AI and risk leaders got candid about what responsible adoption actually requires. Moderated by the Financial Times, the discussion focused on execution.

David Fearne, Vice President of AI at NTT DATA, emphasized that governance has to be built in from day one, which means engineering AI as a complete system - not just models but also the people, processes and operational controls around them - so that it behaves reliably and safely over time.

He also introduced the idea of "bias engineering." Bias, he argued, is inevitable. The real challenge is encouraging the biases that lead to fair and beneficial outcomes while identifying and reducing those that cause harm. That takes design discipline, oversight and continuous evaluation.

The panel also explored the rise of "digital employees" - AI agents with defined roles, key performance indicators and reporting lines. As these systems take on more responsibility, they raise important questions about accountability, risk ownership and how organizations prepare their workforce to manage and supervise them effectively.

Other speakers reinforced the foundations: Strong data architecture, rigorous validation processes and governance models that are proportionate to risk. With regulatory frameworks such as the EU AI Act taking shape, alignment is becoming part of the license to operate.

Building a tech-savvy workforce for the AI era

If the first panel was about governing AI, the second was about something just as critical: people. In "Building a Tech-Savvy Workforce: How Banking Can Avoid Falling Behind," the spotlight shifted to the reality that AI strategy lives or dies with the workforce behind it.

David framed modern AI not as a replacement for professionals but as an intelligence amplifier. It helps people process information faster, explore ideas more broadly and make better decisions. The real opportunity lies in augmentation.

He also pushed back on a common misconception - that AI success hinges mainly on hiring more data scientists. In practice, everyone from relationship managers and risk officers to operations leaders and compliance teams needs a working understanding of what AI can do and where its limits lie.

That's the thinking behind NTT DATA's AI Academy, an enterprise-wide upskilling program designed to build practical AI capability at scale. Structured around a belt-based certification model, it creates a clear pathway from foundational knowledge to advanced application. It also helps us assess proficiency, measure productivity gains and track how AI is being applied in real-world scenarios - from junior staff to senior leadership.

One of the biggest barriers discussed during this panel was ambiguity. When employees aren't sure what's allowed and what's expected, progress stalls. Clear guardrails, safe spaces to experiment and a culture that treats early missteps as learning opportunities were all highlighted as essential to building confidence.

The panel also pointed to a broader shift in talent priorities. As AI takes on more technical heavy lifting, distinctly human capabilities are rising in value, including communication, creativity, critical thinking and the ability to interpret - and challenge - AI-generated outputs.

Banks won't succeed by resisting AI, nor by confining it to a specialist team. They'll succeed by building workforces that know how to direct it ethically, confidently and at scale.

NTT DATA's presence at the summit

Beyond the panel sessions, we made sure to be part of the conversation throughout the three days, both on stage and on the floor.

Our exhibition space, set just outside the main plenary hall, became a natural meeting point. Under our global message, "Shaping what banking becomes," we hosted ongoing discussions with our clients, partners and industry peers about where AI is delivering real results and where it's still falling short.

We also brought leaders together for a circular dialogue roundtable focused on a question many banks now face: How do you move from AI pilots to measurable business outcomes? The conversation was practical and candid, grounded in real-world experience.

Alongside that, a series of smaller networking engagements created space for deeper exchanges with senior banking executives about the operational, governance and cultural shifts needed to scale AI securely and responsibly.

If there was one consistent theme across all these interactions, it was that ambition alone isn't enough. Turning AI potential into tangible value requires strong partnerships and a shared commitment to doing it in a way that is secure, scalable and built to last.

Looking ahead: Innovation through collaboration

If there was a clear shift at this year's summit, it was this: Banking has moved from talking about innovation to making it real. Leaders agreed that AI success is about implementing it responsibly, building trust, upskilling employees and embedding governance deeply enough that innovation can scale without creating new risks.

In other words, this next phase is operational, cultural and organizational.

For NTT DATA, the conversations in London reinforced the importance of playing the long game with our clients - helping them connect technology decisions to business outcomes and making sure their people are equipped to lead in an AI-enabled environment.

Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, one message stood out: No single bank will determine the future alone. Progress will depend on collaboration across institutions, regulators, technology partners and ecosystems. It will require responsibility as much as ambition - and leadership that's willing to act decisively.

The future of banking is being written now. The question is who's ready for it.