What financial services leaders are actually working through.
Our insights draw on ongoing research conversations, event discussions and market observation to surface the priorities, trade-offs and implementation questions shaping financial services.
The Real Bottleneck in Lending Automation Isn't AI
AI adoption is accelerating across lending, but technology alone isn’t the answer. Drawing on conversations with industry practitioners, we explore the data, integration and operational challenges holding back automation, and what lenders need to address before AI can deliver meaningful value.
20 October 2026
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Drawing on conversations with compliance, financial crime and technology leaders across banks and financial institutions.
KEY THEMES
AI implementation
Governance & validation
Financial crime operations
Technology adoption
Latest thinking from across our research.
Automating Underwriting Without Losing Human Judgement
Automating underwriting doesn’t mean removing the underwriter. Drawing on conversations with UK and US lenders, we explore which parts of a credit decision are already automated, and where human judgement still can’t be replaced.
27 October 2026
The Real Bottleneck in Lending Automation Isn't AI
AI adoption in lending is accelerating, but technology alone isn’t the answer. Drawing on practitioner conversations, we explore the data, integration and operational challenges holding back meaningful automation.
20 October 2026
Why implementation is becoming the real RegTech differentiator
Technology capability matters, but financial institutions are increasingly scrutinising integration, deployment and the operational reality behind the product.
Coming soon
The questions shaping financial services technology.
Our research follows the operational questions emerging across the communities we bring together, from technology strategy and implementation to AI, data and changing operating models.
01 - AI & automation
Where firms are moving from experimentation into production, and the governance, accountability and operating questions that follow.
02 - Technology strategy
How financial institutions are approaching architecture, vendor selection, integration and the balance between consolidation and specialist technology.
03 - Data foundations
The infrastructure, governance and organisational changes needed to support more intelligent and automated financial services.
04 - Implementation & operating models
What determines whether new technology delivers value once it meets existing processes, teams, controls and legacy environments.
The best insight often starts with the right conversation.
Shape Finance brings senior financial services leaders together to explore the questions shaping technology adoption, implementation and operating models in practice.