How mid-tier banks can turn AI into practical advantage
Banks are entering a different phase of the economic cycle, after spending the past several years operating through extraordinary market conditions. Today, the challenge looks different:
- Funding costs remain elevated.
- Rate expectations continue to shift.
- Margin expansion is uncertain.
- Growth opportunities are becoming more selective.
At Abrigo ThinkBIG 2026, two themes dominated the conversation. One centered on the macroeconomic environment and what it means for community and regional banks. The other focused on artificial intelligence, not as a future technology, but as a practical, explainable tool already helping institutions improve how they operate. Increasingly, those two conversations are becoming one. As banks look for ways to operate more efficiently in a challenging environment, AI is moving from experimentation toward practical application. The opportunity is increasingly tangible: operate with greater speed, consistency, and efficiency.
This report combines insights from ThinkBIG 2026 with Bloomberg Intelligence research to explore how financial institutions are approaching AI adoption, where practical use cases are emerging today, and what this means for treasury, operations, and the broader banking organization.
