Financial sector folds bet on AI and open source, reveals NVIDIA research

The financial services sector is intensifying its investments in artificial intelligence, with 100% of the professionals heard in a NVIDIA survey indicating that they intend to increase or maintain AI budgets in the coming years. The study, which heard more than 800 executives and experts in the field, reveals that the adoption of open source models and AI agents is accelerating the digital transformation of financial institutions in a concrete and measurable way.

Why does the financial sector lead the adoption of AI?

The research, conducted by NVIDIA in partnership with S&P Global consultancy, shows that the financial sector is already at the forefront of AI implementation. More than 60% of respondents stated that artificial intelligence has already brought a positive return on investment (ROI) in areas such as fraud detection, credit analysis and algorithmic trading. The most surprising fact, however, is the willingness to maintain or expand budgets: no institution plans to reduce them. This signals robust confidence in technology's potential to generate operational efficiency and new revenue.

How open source models transform financial services

The survey points out that more than half of the institutions already use open source models in production, especially in the United States and Europe. Flexibility to customize models, audit and adapt them to specific regulatory requirements is one of the main drivers. In addition, the reduced cost of licensing compared to proprietary solutions allows medium and fintech banks to also have access to advanced AI capabilities. NVIDIA, which provides infrastructure for training and inference, has benefited from this movement: its data center revenue tripled in Q2 2024, driven by the demand of the financial sector, as previously reported (NVIDIA sees data center revenue triple with the explosion of the Generative IA in Q2 2024).

What are AI agents and their use in the financial sector

Another highlight of the research is the growth of AI agents — autonomous systems capable of performing complex tasks with minimal human intervention. In the financial sector, these agents are being applied in customer service (via advanced chatbots), real-time transaction monitoring for fraud prevention and optimization of investment portfolios. About 40% of respondents already have AI agents in production or in pilot testing. The trend is that in the next two years, these systems take on back-office functions that today consume thousands of hours of human work.

Impact of AI on the Brazilian financial market

Although the research has a global focus, the results echo strongly in Brazil. Brazilian Fintechs, such as Nubank and PicPay, already use open source models for credit analysis and offering customization. Large banks are also investing in their own AI centers. NVIDIA research suggests that the adoption of open models and intelligent agents can level the playing field between giants and startups, provided there is adequate computational infrastructure. NVIDIA itself has expanded its presence in the country with local partnerships and providing cloud GPUs for model training.

Frequently Asked Questions about AI in the financial sector

What were the main findings of NVIDIA research?

The research revealed that 100% of financial institutions plan to maintain or increase investments in AI, and more than half already use open source models in production.

How does open source benefit the financial sector?

Open source models allow for greater customization, data control and cost reduction, crucial factors to meet regulatory and safety requirements.

What are AI agents in the financial context?

AI agents are autonomous systems that perform tasks such as customer care, fraud detection and risk management with minimal human intervention.

Original source: NVIDIA blog - AI in Financial Services Survey 2026*