Corporate sector professionals face a very challenging environment when it comes to expansion. Latest EY-Parthenon Growth ResearchIn the report published April 28, 2026, nearly four in five U.S. executives from companies with at least $500 million in annual revenue said the current environment for business growth is more challenging than it was a year ago. almost all questionnaire 97 percent of the participants business expansion Plans over the last 12 months in response to external pressures.
The most important factors included geopolitical tensions and economic fluctuations (cited by 73 percent), technological Advances such as artificial intelligence (58 percent), evolving customer expectations (46 percent) and new regulatory demands (40 percent). Internal barriers, particularly risk and compliance burdens (35 percent) and legacy systems and infrastructure (34 percent), are seen as the biggest obstacles to outperforming competitors.
In this context, artificial intelligence stands out as a promising catalyst.
Seventy-eight percent of the 271 growth leaders surveyed (including senior executives) expressed confidence that: artificial intelligence will ultimately accelerate their organization’s overall growth trajectory.
Many predict it will create new market opportunities (57 percent) and improve customer engagement and sales processes (63 percent).
But the optimism is clouded by caution: 41 percent worry that AI could empower disruptive new competitors, while 34 percent fear the erosion of existing revenue streams.
63 percent use AI primarily to increase efficiency and productivity rather than for competitive differentiation or revenue diversification (only 14 percent and 7 percent, respectively).
Although almost half of leaders claim strong internal knowledge of how to use them, a significant trust gap remains; Less than a third rely entirely on AI outputs for high-stakes choices like pricing optimization, product development or merger evaluations data and artificial intelligence for expansion.
These research findings mirror patterns in broader industry research.
McKinseyThe 2026 State of Organizations report states that 88 percent of companies are currently experimenting artificial intelligencebut 81 percent report no significant financial impact; This underscores the need for deeper organizational change beyond pilot projects.
Similarly, PwCThe 2026 AI Performance Survey highlights a sharp concentration of value: Just 20 percent of firms realize 74 percent of AI-driven economic gains; leaders are prioritizing real growth over mere cost-cutting.
Inside financial servicesDeloitte’s State of AI in the Enterprise and Gartner data show that more than 70 percent of organizations will scale AI by the end of 2025; This rate is driven by agile fintech players who face fewer legacy restrictions; This is double the share in 2023.
These dynamics point to transformative potential for the fintech sector.
The global fintech AI market is expected to grow from approximately $36.6 billion in 2026 to approximately $99 billion in 2031, at a compound annual growth rate of 22 percent, driven by real-time data. dataopen banking and cloud tools.
fintech Firms are already leveraging AI to compress product development timelines from years to weeks, deliver highly personalized banking experiences, strengthen fraud detection, and reduce operational costs (areas where traditional banks often lag behind).
McKinsey observes: Fintechs They have a disproportionate share of AI startups in financial services, allowing them to serve previously unprofitable customer segments and challenge incumbents on price and speed.
But success depends on closing the trust gap through transparent, auditable systems (such as emerging neurosymbolic AI) and robust governance to mitigate risks to data privacy. compatibilityand ethical use.
As turbulence continues, ARTICLE-Parthenon analysis He emphasizes that first movers who transition AI from productivity tools to strategic growth engines (through faster innovation, tailored offerings, and new revenue models) will be best positioned to thrive. The main strategy and takeaway for fintech executives is clear by now: treat artificial intelligence As a core growth imperative rather than an efficiency add-on, it could determine who leads the next phase of industry disruption.
