KPMG 2026 Banking Technology Survey: AI, data and cyber priorities driving bank IT spend

The survey, released June 17, 2026, polled 200 banking executives. On AI, 80% expect significant disruption to their business and operating models within three to five years, and say they are already preparing. On security, 76% reported more cyberattacks over the past year, and 92% are raising cyber budgets in response. A separate summary of the findings says 73% now treat GenAI spending as a strategic requirement, up from 61% in 2025. That figure comes from a secondary source, not KPMG's release. Budgets are stretched. Banks have to fund legacy upkeep, regulatory obligations and growth projects, then still find money for modernization. Data work is moving past compliance toward personalization, customer intelligence and operational decisions. In payments, larger banks are designing systems for tokenized deposits and stablecoins, while smaller institutions are mostly still evaluating digital assets. One secondary summary puts the share of $100B-plus banks doing this at 71%. For AI founders selling into banks, the buyers' priorities are fairly clear. Fraud detection, cyber defense, data quality and back-office automation have budget behind them. Revenue-growth pitches have less. Large banks are the more likely early customers for payments and digital asset tooling. Smaller banks are likely to wait and will want evidence of governance and data readiness before they buy.