BOSTON–A new survey of chief product officers at financial institutions has found that nearly all are testing generative AI and believe it will reshape how they work, there is also a split that may determine who reaps the rewards.
The survey found that some industries are surging ahead, while others are hesitating, and no single AI provider has yet claimed dominance, according to PYMNTS Intelligence.
PYMNTS Intelligence said its new report, From Experiment to Imperative: U.S. Product Leaders Bet on Gen AI, captures this “pivot.”
Based on a June 2025 survey of 60 chief product officers and heads of product at companies with at least $1 billion in revenue, the study finds 98% of leaders now expect generative AI to streamline workflows, up from 70% last year, PYMNTS reported, adding that nearly as many (95%) anticipate sharper decision making.
“Even data security, once a sticking point, is now viewed as a likely area of improvement by 83%, compared with just half a year ago,” PYMTNS Intelligencereported.
The company noted the survey also underscores the distance between perception and reality, particularly in areas like fraud detection and compliance.
The Findings
The survey found:
- 87% of product leaders now expect AI to improve fraud detection, up from 62% in March 2024. “Yet many admit the real-world tools are still in early stages, with limited benchmarks for accuracy.”
- 85% forecast better regulatory compliance, a leap from 47% a year earlier. “Still, only a minority have deployed AI deeply enough to know whether those expectations hold.”
- 83% anticipate stronger data security, “even though security experts continue to warn that large language models introduce new vectors for attack and data leakage.”
“This mismatch suggests executives are projecting optimism faster than the technology can deliver,” PYMNTS said in its analysis. “Fraud, compliance and security may be where confidence runs highest, but also where disappointment could sting most.”
Fragmented Faith in Providers
According to PYMNTS, the “underplayed story” in the data may be that no single AI company is in command. The analysis noted, for example, that half of tech firms named OpenAI their top provider, but only a third of goods firms and just 5% of services companies agreed. Microsoft leads among service firms at 24%, followed by Nvidia and Google at 19% apiece.
Google shows the most balanced cross-sector traction but still fails to reach even a third of the market, PYMNTS added.
‘Critical Uncertainty’
“This patchwork of loyalties underscores a critical uncertainty: even as adoption surges, corporate America hasn’t settled on which vendor, or which approach, will anchor enterprise AI,” PYMNTS said. “That lack of consensus keeps the market wide open, but also raises questions about long-term standards, integration costs and the risk of backing the wrong horse.”
The report also highlights other expected gains. Ninety-three percent of leaders now see AI as improving customer experience, up from 70% in March 2024. Nearly all (97%) expect stronger adaptability to market shifts. And 93% forecast AI will help them expand their businesses.
‘Enterprise Critical Strategy’
“What started with small-scale pilots is now being cast as enterprise-critical strategy,” PYMNTS said. “Yet as the report makes clear, the story is not simply about enthusiasm. It is about the divides: between sectors racing ahead and those holding back, between confidence in fraud prevention and the reality of early tools, and between vendors vying for a future that remains unsettled.
“The next phase of generative AI may not hinge on whether companies adopt it, but on who defines the terms of its success,” the analysis added.
