Today, as a society, we agree on little: Politics. Climate. Health. Whether a hot dog is a sandwich.

But one topic is bringing us back together: artificial intelligence! According to Forrester’s 2026 Consumer Benchmark Survey, nearly nine-in-ten online adtuls in each the US and UK have at least heard about AI. But ubiquitous awareness does not mean wide-spread interest.. Four-in-ten learn about AI simply because they can’t escape the news coverage. And what a news cycle we’ve had recently: rogue agents, AI hacking government sites, and other unexpected behavior is seriously freaking people out. No wonder nearly two-thirds in the US (66%) and UK (69%) agree that the evolution of AI is outpacing the ability to effectively manage it.

AI Will Transform Consumer Value Creation

Sprinkled among the doomsday scenarios are headlines that offer hope about AI. Like a hearing aid that can make more than 80 million adjustments every hour to improve sound quality and speech clarity for those hard of hearing. Or researchers who deployed 950 AI agents to search a DNA database, leading to the discovery—in just 21 hours—of an enzyme holds promise for personalized medicine.

In financial services, AI can consumers more control over their finances. AI agents help people thwart the “laziness tax,” which is a phrase for lax behavior that results in paying fees for late payments, forgetting about subscriptions, or keeping money in low interest-bearing accounts. AI also democratizes access to financial guidance, like retirement planning, though often with mixed results if not used properly.

Business leaders see even greater potential in AI. In Forrester’s Q2 2026 AI Pulse survey, nearly eight-in-ten AI decision makers agreed that genAI and agentic AI will have a high impact on how consumers interact with their business. Stephen J. Squeri, Chairman and CEO of American Express, echoes this sentiment when he wrote, “Advancements in AI are creating a structural shift in the way colleagues work and how businesses operate, compete, and create value — and we are embracing it.” Beyond efficiency, AI transforms value creation.

Consumers Are Skeptical Of Financial Services Use Of AI

The problem? Consumers aren’t bought into the AI vision of business leaders. In each the US and UK, seven-in-ten consumers are concerned that AI will not be used responsibly by companies. This concern is compounded in financial services where inherent risk lurks in nearly every action involving money. Respondents in Forrester’s ConsumerVoices Market Research Online Community (MROC) perceive a high degree of risk across a wide range of financial activities, from navigating retirement savings (47%) to selecting a health plan (40%).

Despite this, consumers are dabbling with AI when it comes to their personal finances. Nearly one-third of consumers now use AI assistance for at least some personal finance questions. But they’re equally as likely to turn to third-party tools as they are to their bank’s tools. To earn consumer trust and engagement, financial services business leaders must close the AI trust gap.

Build AI Experiences That Keep Consumers In Control

With AI moving so quickly, how can Marketing and CX leaders deliver AI experiences that consumers will want and use? The answer sounds like it’s lifted from a Marketing 101 text book: start with your consumer.

In my latest report, AI In Financial Services Has A Consumer Trust Gap, I share strategies that Marketing and CX leaders can deploy to unify their consumer understanding and work together to mitigate risk sensitivity, set expectations, drive adoption, and build trust.

Here are four ways that Marketing and CX pros can build consumer trust and engagement:

  • Deliver AI that your actually consumers need. Consumers don’t care that their bank suddenly has an AI agent. What they care about is WIFM (“What’s In It For Me?”). The question that Marketing and CC leaders must answer to pique consumer interest isn’t “How can I get more people to use an AI agent?”, but instead “What new value does our AI agent offer that my consumer can’t get anywhere else?”
  • Explain how consumers can maximize value. AI adoption is outpacing people’s ability to confidently navigate the technology to accurate outcomes. Educate consumers on how the AI tools work, set expectations about what good outcomes look like, and help consumers build the skills to get more out of AI over time.
  • Help consumers when it gets hard. Your consumers will make mistakes and they will get confused. Equip consumers to navigate AI outputs, especially if they get it wrong. Embed expertise across their experience, from self-serve FAQs to preparing employees with information. Make human experts easy to find.

Forrester clients: You can download the full report on AI In Financial Services Has A Consumer Trust Gap starting today.

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