AI in Belgian Financial Services

Belgian financial sector gets real about AI: focus shifts to tangible results, new barometer reveals

The Belgian financial sector is making serious strides with Artificial Intelligence (AI), moving well beyond the experimental phase and now keenly focused on getting clear, measurable returns on their investments. That's a key takeaway from the 2025 AI Barometer, a new report released today by Digital FinanceAssociation FinTech Belgium in collaboration with consulting agency Sailpeak.

‍Brussels, June26, 2025 – FinTech Belgium, the country's top federation for financial technology in Belgium, in partnership with Sailpeak, a specialized consulting firm for AI strategy and transformation, today announced the release of the 2025 AI Barometer^[1]for the Belgian financial sector.

This year's report reveals that Belgian financial institutions are getting much more serious about AI. They're heavily focused on seeing a clear return on their investments (ROI), but the report also points out some tougher challenges as AI moves from pilot projects to everyday operations. This year's report, based on insights from 13 leading Belgian financial institutions including major players like BNP Paribas Fortis, KBC, Belfius, AXA, and Ethias, paints a clear picture: AI isn't just a pilot project anymore. It's a fundamental part of their strategy. A striking 85% of these institutions now have a dedicated AI unit or competence center, a significant jump from 37% just last year. Plus, over 60% have a validated AI roadmap or are actively updating one, showing a strong commitment to integrating AI thoughtfully. 

The push for concrete value is evident. Almost 45% of institutions expect their AI investments to at least break even or even generate exceptional ROI in 2025. This drive is largely fueled by the desire for "Productivity Gain" (a high priority for92%) and "Process Efficiency" (75% high priority), where real benefits are already being seen. Generative AI (GenAI) is quickly moving from trials to widespread use, with over 60% of relevant institutions deploying GenAI for customer service chatbots, and similar strong adoption for coding assistance. It's also clear that AI is becoming part of the daily workflow; 85%of institutions are running AI literacy campaigns, and 77% are giving employees AI assistants like Microsoft Copilot. 

However, as AI expands and becomes more ingrained, the Barometer points out that new challenges are emerging. While familiar issues like data quality (31%) and regulatory uncertainty (38%) are still present, the biggest hurdles in 2025 are now the "Complexity of integrating AI into existing systems" (highlighted by 62% of institutions) and getting the necessary "Lack of business buy-in or readiness" for widespread organizational change (flagged by 38%)."The changing environment of AI, encompassing traditional AI and the nascent GenAI and agentic AI, will unequivocally reveal which organizations possess superior data and enterprise architecture," said Anthony Belpaire, Head of AI at BNP Paribas Fortis. "This architectural strength will become the decisive competitive advantage for deploying AI services with optimal speed to market." 

‍"The 2025 AI Barometer paints a clear picture: AI is no longer something futuristic, but a core component of strategic growth for Belgian financial institutions," said RafDe Kimpe, CEO of FinTech Belgium. "The commitment to dedicated AI units and ROI-driven strategies underlines are markable level of maturity. Our report provides insights into the challenges of integration, but also the opportunities driving true enterprise-wide transformation." 

‍"As AI adoption scales, the focus rightfully shifts from 'what' AI can do, to 'how' to seamlessly embed it into complex existing operations and ensure widespread organizational adoption,"commented Nico Vincent, Founding Partner of Sailpeak. "

"The new challenges highlighted in the Barometer, particularly around integration complexity and securing business buy-in, are precisely where specialized expertise becomes essential. At Sailpeak, we are dedicated to guiding financial institutions through these transformation phases, ensuring they unlock the full, measurable benefits of their AI investments and foster an AI-ready culture."

‍