Top 10 Financial Services Stories of 2025: AI Disruption, IT Crashes, and Industry Transformation
By Karl Flinders, Chief Reporter and Senior Editor EMEA
Published: 23 December 2025, 09:10
As 2025 draws to a close, the financial services sector has experienced a year marked by rapid technological change and significant challenges. According to Computer Weekly’s roundup of the top stories in financial services IT, artificial intelligence (AI), particularly generative AI (GenAI), has emerged as the transformative force reshaping banking operations, while the industry also grappled with notable IT outages and complex infrastructure upgrades. Here, we look back at the most impactful events and trends that defined the sector this year.
1. Artificial Intelligence Redefines Banking Roles
The biggest story in 2025 has undeniably been AI’s impact on employment within financial services. Industry benchmarking firm Evident revealed that AI-related positions are now the most secure in banks, with one in 50 employees at the top ten banks engaged in AI roles. The sector’s rapid adoption of AI technologies promises significant cost savings but also signals inevitable workforce reductions as automated systems augment or replace human tasks.
2. Lloyds Bank Upskilling Senior Leaders on AI
Recognizing the critical need to embed AI understanding at all levels, Lloyds Banking Group partnered with Cambridge Spark to provide AI training to over 200 senior managers. This initiative underscores that AI is not solely for automating routine jobs but is also a strategic priority requiring leadership to grasp its potential and implications to maintain competitive advantage.
3. ING’s CTO Highlights an Innovative AI Framework
Daniele Tonella, CTO of ING, shared insights into the bank’s approach to integrating GenAI not as a mere novelty but as a core transformative element. In his interview with Computer Weekly, Tonella described ING’s four-layer IT architecture, with AI development centered within the innovation layer, supported by layers focused on reliability, scalable technology platforms, and quality control.
4. Bloomberg’s Tech Leadership on GenAI Adoption
Bloomberg, a vital information provider in financial markets, is also embracing GenAI to enhance its services. Wayne Barlow, head of terminal products at Bloomberg, discussed the company’s strategy to meet sector challenges through advanced AI applications, reinforcing how broad financial ecosystem participants are investing heavily in artificial intelligence.
5. Bank of England’s Smooth Revolution in Core Systems
A quiet yet monumental achievement this year was the Bank of England’s staged replacement of its real-time gross settlement (RTGS) system, which processes approximately £800 billion in daily payments. CIO Nathan Monk described the multi-year project as “a hell of a journey,” successfully modernizing critical infrastructure without significant disruptions.
6. ASN Bank Integrates Brand and Technology with Cybersecurity Focus
At the Dutch ASN Bank, CTO Sebastiaan Kalshoven recounts the complex process of unifying the bank’s brand while overhauling core IT infrastructure and ramping up cybersecurity measures. Kalshoven likened this continuous improvement journey to his experience as a swimming coach, emphasizing dedication and iterative progress.
7. Barclays Faces Major IT Outage on Key Tax Deadline
January saw a high-profile IT outage at Barclays that severely affected customers’ ability to use online banking services and perform transactions, coinciding with a vital HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) deadline. Such outages, particularly on critical banking days, highlight the fragility and operational risks of complex banking IT systems.
8. Experts Explain Why Banking IT Crashes Persist
Industry professionals continue to cite intricate “spaghetti” IT architectures as a core driver of system failures. Moreover, cost-benefit decisions often prioritize paying compensation over investing heavily to guarantee near-absolute uptime, giving rise to what one insider dubbed “technology Jenga” — a precarious and increasingly unsustainable operating model.
9. AWS Outage Sparks Concerns Over Third-Party Dependencies
This year’s widespread disruption caused by a major Amazon Web Services (AWS) outage in the United States had significant knock-on effects across the UK public and private sectors, including the taxpayer-facing HMRC and several banks such as Lloyds. The incident raised serious questions about the sector’s reliance on US cloud providers and the need for diversified, resilient supply chains.
10. The Industry Awaits Future Innovations and Regulation
As financial services brace for ongoing AI integration and heightened cybersecurity demands, regulators and market leaders are actively debating frameworks to govern technology adoption responsibly. The balance between innovation, stability, and compliance remains a defining challenge heading into 2026. —
Financial services IT in 2025 has been a story of rapid evolution and complexity. Emerging technologies like generative AI herald efficiency gains and new capabilities but also introduce risks and workforce shifts. Meanwhile, persistent infrastructure fragilities and interdependencies require vigilant management. As the sector moves forward, the lessons of this year’s successes and setbacks will shape the trajectory of financial technology innovation and resilience for years to come.
For further details and interviews referenced in this roundup, readers can access the full stories on ComputerWeekly.com’s Financial Services IT section.