Bloomberg Survey: Three Quarters of European Finance Leaders Fear Losing Market Share or Becoming Obsolete Without AI

Bloomberg survey shows cautious optimism and commercial pressure shape Financial Services industry’s AI adoption landscape in Europe

LONDON – Wednesday 17 December 2025 – A recent Bloomberg survey of more than 300 senior decision-makers from European financial services firms reveals that AI is now seen as a competitive necessity. Nearly half of respondents believe their firms risk losing market share if they fall behind in AI adoption. Commercial pressure is the primary driver, with 75% citing direct loss of profitability or risk of becoming obsolete as the biggest consequence of not keeping pace with AI.

Key Findings

• AI as a Competitive Necessity:
  • 75% of respondents see direct loss of profitability or obsolescence as the main risk of lagging in AI adoption, suggesting that AI is increasingly viewed as a competitive necessity rather than a discretionary technology investment.
  • Only 6% believe AI is overhyped, indicating broad consensus on its importance.

• Agentic AI Expectations:
  • 46% expect Agentic AI to drive incremental automation in the next three years.
  • 37% anticipate far-reaching transformation of workflows and decision-making.
• Current Impact:
  • 40% already report measurable business benefits from AI deployments.
  • Only 1% report negative outcomes.
• Cautious Optimism:
  • 37% see themselves as moving with the industry, not leading it, reflecting pragmatic optimism.

Amanda Stent, Head of AI Strategy & Research in the CTO Office at Bloomberg: “Financial institutions clearly see AI as both a strategic necessity and a competitive differentiator. While firms are cautious about the speed and scale of change this technology is introducing, few doubt its potential for long-term impact or the measurable advantage it can deliver. The next phase will be defined by how effectively, not just how quickly, institutions can scale AI across their core operations while embedding the governance, controls, and accountability required for its responsible deployment.”

Methodology

• Survey conducted via live audience polling at Bloomberg events across Europe from September to November 2025.
• More than 300 senior decision-makers from European financial services firms participated, representing both buy-side and sell-side firms.
• Events included Bloomberg’s Future of Finance series in Frankfurt, Milan, Luxembourg, and Madrid, as well as Bloomberg’s Investment Management Summit in London.

About AI at Bloomberg
Since 2009, Bloomberg has been building and using artificial intelligence (AI) in the finance domain – including machine learning (ML), natural language processing (NLP), information retrieval (IR), time-series analysis, and generative models – to help process and organize the ever-increasing volume of structured and unstructured financial information. With this technology, Bloomberg is developing new ways for financial professionals and business leaders to derive valuable intelligence and actionable insights from high-quality financial information and make more informed business decisions.

About Bloomberg
Bloomberg is a global leader in business and financial information, delivering trusted data, news, and insights that bring transparency, efficiency, and fairness to markets. The company helps connect influential communities across the global financial ecosystem via reliable technology solutions that enable our customers to make more informed decisions and foster better collaboration. For more information, visit Bloomberg.com/company or request a demo.

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