Hiring for artificial intelligence (AI) roles across the global banking sector has risen by 13 percent in the last six months, according to a report – marking the largest growth in AI-specific headcount over a six-month period in the past two years, despite many banks continuing to reduce overall staff levels.
The AI Talent in Banking Report by Evident, an AI benchmarking and intelligence platform, shows that one in every 50 banking employees now works in a dedicated AI role. Roles in AI Software Implementation increased by 42 percent, Data Engineering rose by 14 percent and AI Development grew by 6 percent.
The report links AI hiring directly to a bank’s capacity to deploy use cases, calculate return on investment and scale adoption across business areas.
Evident’s AI Index ranks the ten largest banking employers by volume of AI talent. These banks now account for nearly half (48%) of the industry’s AI workforce. JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and Citigroup continue to lead in AI hiring, with JPMorgan, Capital One and BBVA outpacing the average growth rate across the Index.
BBVA expanded its AI workforce by 18 percent and is the only bank in the top ten to exceed average growth benchmarks across all capability areas. It has expanded its “AI Factories” programme with new centres in Mexico and Turkey.
AI hiring strategy: the shift from planning to execution
Evident’s analysis indicates that the most AI-mature banks are moving beyond foundational hiring and increasingly recruiting for specialised implementation roles. The data shows that AI Software Implementation – roles that translate AI models into real-world applications – is growing faster than other areas, signalling a transition from strategy planning to operational delivery.
Capital One and JPMorgan Chase, both leaders in the Evident AI Index, have increased their AI hiring more rapidly than Wells Fargo, Citigroup and Bank of America. Capital One has focused on expanding its Data Engineering function, supporting its aim to maintain a modern data infrastructure. Wells Fargo and Bank of America continue to prioritise AI Development, as part of wider efforts to upgrade digital and mobile services.
Citigroup has developed partnerships such as its collaboration with Numerated, aimed at streamlining data collection from borrowers. JPMorgan Chase has launched IndexGPT, a generative AI tool for customised equity baskets, while Capital One is deploying conversational AI tools to improve customer engagement.
Laggards face pressure as AI leaders scale up
The gap between leading banks and others is increasing, according to Evident. The top ten banks disclose twice as many AI use cases and are one and a half times more likely to report return on investment. The report identifies a group of four banks – CommBank, BNY, TD Bank and Lloyds Banking Group – that have each grown their AI headcount by over 21 percent as they seek to close the gap.
Alexandra Mousavizadeh, CEO and co-founder of Evident, said the latest data suggests that “AI roles may be the only safe jobs in banking right now”. She added that banks are “laser-targeting their efforts” on AI use cases that deliver measurable value.
According to Mousavizadeh, as headcount across the industry falls – down by around 3 percent in the last two years – AI is increasingly viewed as a route to cost savings. This trend may accelerate further if banks continue to prioritise operational efficiency and technological transformation over broad-based hiring.
The report concludes that banks which are still in the early stages of artificial intelligence deployment may find it difficult to catch up, especially if faced with further economic downturns or internal restructuring. AI hiring, once limited to research and pilot projects, is now seen as essential to enterprise-wide transformation and long-term value generation.
