Forrester: AI will cut bank website traffic 20% by 2026

Financial institutions worldwide are approaching a technological inflection point that will fundamentally reshape how customers interact with money. By 2026, artificial intelligence will transform everything from investment advice to loan applications, creating both unprecedented opportunities and significant challenges for traditional banking.

This shift represents more than incremental change—it signals the emergence of a “zero-click” economy where AI agents handle routine financial tasks on behalf of consumers, potentially reducing direct human interaction with bank websites and apps. For financial services leaders, understanding these trends isn’t optional; it’s essential for survival in an increasingly automated marketplace.

Recent research from Forrester, a leading technology research firm, identifies three critical predictions that will define the financial services landscape in 2026. These forecasts reveal how generative AI—the technology behind tools like ChatGPT that can create human-like text and responses—will reshape customer behavior, operational efficiency, and competitive dynamics across the industry.

1. Over half of consumers under 50 seeking financial advice will turn to generative AI tools

The democratization of financial advice is accelerating rapidly. Current data shows that approximately half of US and UK online adults already use generative AI tools, and among these users, more than half seek recommendations or advice through these platforms. This trend is particularly pronounced among younger demographics, who view AI-powered guidance as more accessible and affordable than traditional financial advisory services.

This shift reflects a fundamental change in consumer expectations. Rather than scheduling appointments with human advisors or navigating complex bank websites, younger consumers increasingly expect instant, personalized financial guidance available 24/7. They’re asking AI tools questions like “Should I refinance my mortgage now?” or “How should I allocate my 401(k) contributions?” and receiving immediate, tailored responses.

However, financial institutions face a delicate balance between innovation and responsibility. Trust remains a significant concern, as consumers worry about the accuracy and reliability of AI-generated financial advice. Smart institutions are responding by integrating generative AI within rule-based systems that maintain regulatory compliance while providing valuable guidance.

ABN Amro, a major Dutch bank, exemplifies this measured approach. Rather than deploying AI tools without guardrails, the bank has embedded generative AI capabilities within existing compliance frameworks, ensuring that AI-generated advice aligns with regulatory requirements while still providing customers with enhanced service.

2. AI-powered search and generative AI tools will reduce human website traffic by 20%

The way consumers discover and research financial products is undergoing a dramatic transformation. Nearly 40% of US adults and 43% of UK adults familiar with generative AI have already used these tools to find new products and services. In China, this trend is even more advanced, with 10% of recent borrowers ranking AI tools among their top research methods.

This behavioral shift will have profound implications for how financial institutions attract and engage customers. By 2026, banks and credit unions can expect human visits to their websites to drop by approximately 20%, while machine-initiated traffic—queries from AI agents acting on behalf of consumers—will surge by 40%.

Consider how this changes the customer journey: Instead of a consumer spending hours comparing mortgage rates across multiple bank websites, their personal AI agent might instantly query dozens of lenders, analyze terms and conditions, and present a ranked list of options based on the consumer’s specific financial situation and preferences. The consumer never directly visits a bank’s website, yet the AI agent has evaluated that bank’s offerings as part of the decision-making process.

To succeed in this environment, financial institutions must fundamentally rethink their digital presence. Traditional website optimization focused on human visitors becomes less relevant when AI agents are doing the browsing. Instead, banks need to invest in machine-readable content—structured data that AI systems can easily parse and understand—along with real-time APIs (application programming interfaces) that allow AI agents to access current pricing and product information instantly.

This evolution points toward an emerging “agent-to-agent economy” where personal AI assistants negotiate directly with institutional AI systems on behalf of their human users. A customer’s AI agent might automatically negotiate loan terms, compare insurance policies, or even execute routine financial transactions without requiring direct human oversight.

3. Nearly half of major banks will deploy AI agents for back-office operations

While consumer-facing AI applications capture headlines, the most immediate impact of artificial intelligence in financial services may occur behind the scenes. By 2026, AI will automate more than one-third of manual back-office processes, including data processing, regulatory reporting, and financial reconciliation tasks that currently require significant human effort.

Tier 1 banks—the largest financial institutions with assets typically exceeding $50 billion—are leading this operational transformation. These institutions are moving beyond simple automation of repetitive tasks toward deploying specialized AI agents designed for specific roles within their organizations.

These AI agents function as digital employees trained for particular functions. A compliance AI agent might monitor transactions for suspicious activity and generate preliminary regulatory reports, while an IT coding agent could write and test software updates for banking systems. Contact center AI agents are already handling routine customer inquiries, freeing human representatives to focus on complex problem-solving.

OCBC, a major Singapore-based bank, demonstrates the potential of this approach. The institution has implemented AI agents across multiple departments, from processing loan applications to managing regulatory compliance tasks. These agents don’t replace human workers entirely but rather handle routine aspects of complex workflows, allowing human employees to focus on strategic decision-making and customer relationship management.

However, success with AI agents isn’t guaranteed. Banks must carefully align their AI strategies with internal capabilities, risk tolerance, and data sensitivity requirements. The level of autonomy granted to AI agents must match employee comfort levels and regulatory constraints. Institutions that rush to implement AI without proper planning and training often encounter resistance from staff and regulatory challenges.

Strategic implications for financial services leaders

These predictions collectively point toward a financial services industry where AI serves as both a customer interface and an operational backbone. Success in this environment requires institutions to think beyond traditional digital transformation and consider how AI fundamentally changes the nature of financial relationships.

For customer-facing operations, banks must prepare for a world where direct human interaction becomes less common but potentially more valuable. When AI agents handle routine transactions and inquiries, human touchpoints should focus on complex financial planning, emotional support during major life changes, and building long-term trust.

Operationally, the integration of AI agents offers opportunities to dramatically improve efficiency and accuracy while reducing costs. However, these benefits require careful implementation, ongoing monitoring, and continuous adjustment as both technology and regulatory requirements evolve.

The institutions that thrive in 2026 will be those that embrace AI not as a replacement for human expertise but as a powerful augmentation of their existing capabilities. They will build systems that leverage AI’s speed and analytical power while maintaining the trust, security, and regulatory compliance that customers expect from their financial partners.

The transformation ahead represents both challenge and opportunity. Financial institutions that begin preparing now—by experimenting with AI tools, training staff, and adapting their digital infrastructure—will be best positioned to serve customers effectively in an increasingly automated financial landscape.