Driving GenAI Adoption: How Investment Banks Can Overcome Resistance and Lead Strategic Change
For Partners in investment banking, the real opportunity in GenAI lies in accelerating insight, boosting client value, and protecting margin.
Generative AI is rapidly becoming a differentiator in financial services. Top-performing investment banks are starting to see how GenAI doesn’t just speed up research and pitch development but also frees analysts to focus on the thinking that wins deals and deepens client relationships.
According to a LexisNexis report, 81% of financial professionals are already using GenAI tools, yet firmwide adoption remains inconsistent. What appears to be holding implementation back is a lack of trust, clarity, and practical integration.
For Partners, this isn’t just a technology decision—it’s the starting point of a strategic transformation.
Why Resistance to GenAI Persists in High-Performing Firms
Hesitation around GenAI isn’t driven by lack of tools; it’s rooted in culture. In investment banking, excellence is built on accuracy, accountability, and human judgment—values deeply embedded in how teams operate.
- 52% of financial professionals cite privacy and security as their top concern
- 35% worry about job displacement
- Only 14% of firms provide advanced GenAI training
This resistance is understandable, as GenAI challenges long-standing norms: that quality comes from manual diligence, insight is earned through expertise, and client trust is built on human judgment—not automation.
The challenge is not to override this culture but to evolve it. Partners should align GenAI with firm values such as precision, trust, and performance. Adoption begins when professionals feel GenAI supports—not undermines—these values.
Lead with Clarity and Confidence
For GenAI to scale, leadership must clearly communicate its opportunity and boundaries. Unclear or overly technical messaging will stall adoption. Leadership should:
- Reinforce the purpose: GenAI is here to enhance—not replace—analyst output. It accelerates prep work and frees time for strategic thinking.
- Define boundaries: Clarify where GenAI should be used and when human review is necessary.
- Set output expectations: Analysts must understand how GenAI content will be validated for client use.
- Establish accountability and ethics frameworks: Governance, transparency, and traceability are essential for trust and compliance.
With transparency and operational clarity, GenAI can be positioned as a deliberate evolution—not a disruption—aligned with quality and client service.
Solutions like Nexis+ AI™ are built for research and due diligence. With trusted sources, citations, and safeguards, Nexis+ AI accelerates insights without compromising trust—offering a scalable and compliant adoption path.
Train for Strategic Fluency
The report shows that firms offering advanced GenAI training see higher adoption, more time savings, and greater job satisfaction. However, many still rely on demos and basic overviews.
Partners should push for:
- Role-based enablement: Tailored training for analysts, VPs, and department heads based on responsibilities.
- Critical thinking skills: Teach teams to refine and contextualize GenAI outputs confidently.
- Ethical/regulatory awareness: Embed compliance into all training modules.
- Continuous learning: Use office hours, innovation showcases, and peer-sharing to foster collaboration.
Training should focus not just on how GenAI works, but why it matters to client outcomes.
Make GenAI Part of How the Firm Works
GenAI tools create value when embedded into workflows. The report shows that 56% of GenAI users in finance save 3–4 hours daily. To scale impact:
- Integrate GenAI into pitch decks, sector briefs, and due diligence
- Automate repetitive tasks like summarizing earnings or drafting slides
- Track and share time saved and outcomes
Share and Scale What Works
Once adoption begins, momentum must be nurtured. Track:
- Time saved on routine tasks
- Usage trends by team or project
- Feedback on where GenAI helps or hinders
Celebrate and publicize success. When senior bankers share their wins, it encourages wider adoption.
From Time Saved to Value Created
If 30 analysts each save 3 hours daily, that’s 450 hours weekly—equivalent to 11 full-time weeks. Redirected to client work, that becomes commercial leverage.
Firms that centralize governance and training are turning savings into performance gains: faster pitches, better materials, stronger conversations. GenAI becomes a strategic asset.
Turning GenAI Strategy into Scaled Impact
GenAI adoption is a leadership priority. Partners must move it from hype to high performance by introducing it with purpose, scaling it with precision, and aligning it with client value delivery.
The firms investing in enablement, tailored training, and clear messaging will build a lasting competitive edge.
Want to see how top institutions are scaling GenAI? Download the LexisNexis report: GenAI in Financial Services: The Rise of the Creative Professional