Banks are moving cautiously to adopt AI agents: Survey

The Accenture's Banking IT Executives Survey also highlighted that banks in APAC expect 24–34 per cent efficiency gains across the software development lifecycle

Bengaluru: Nearly half of APAC banks are stuck running pilots or adopting them in a few functions, as banks are moving cautiously to adopt AI agents. More than one in five - about 23 per cent - are not currently using them at all, according to Accenture's Banking IT Executives Survey.

The survey revealed that governance for agents is lacking, as only 23% of APAC banks govern agents through a formal lifecycle and access model, compared to 75% who either have no formal governance, manage informally by business unit or track centrally with limited control.

It said that over the next three years, 62% of APAC banks expect moderate adoption of AI agents compared to just 25% that expect scaled adoption.

Interestingly, 74% of APAC banks expect to increase their technology headcount as a result of agentic AI, and only 4% expect to decrease headcount.

Nicole Bodack, Banking & Capital Markets lead for APAC, Accenture said, “Agentic AI marks a pivotal shift in how banks across Asia Pacific approach technology and talent. Rather than replacing people, AI is reshaping roles, creating new hybrid skills and enabling teams to focus on innovation and growth."

The real differentiator will be how boldly banks modernise their core, embed AI across the software lifecycle, and build trust through strong governance. Banks that move beyond experimentation with AI and put humans firmly in the lead will be best placed to turn technology from a cost burden into a sustained competitive advantage, Bodack added.

The survey also highlighted that banks in APAC expect 24–34% efficiency gains across the software development lifecycle, with major impact in code generation, testing, and documentation. Most bank CIOs expect gen AI to cut manual coding and testing effort by 10-50% while one in five anticipates greater reductions - allowing employees to focus on the backlog of technology activities that remain.

It said that banks should treat agents as digital co-workers with defined identities, permissions, and lifecycle management. The findings highlighted the need to establish governance frameworks to orchestrate, monitor, and ensure compliance as agent adoption scales.

"Make AI a CEO-sponsored priority tied to measurable business outcomes and encourage adoption by equipping employees with clear guidance on how AI can enhance daily work," it added.