“When will I see a meaningful return on my investment?”
It’s the question every financial institution asks about AI. It’s a fair one - AI isn’t a minor line item. It’s a long-term strategic investment. But too often, expectations are misaligned. Many leaders anticipate instant results: lower costs, higher efficiency, new revenue streams, etc. They assume that as soon as AI is switched on, value follows.
The truth is more nuanced. AI-driven ROI doesn’t look like a one-time “before and after.” It looks like an infrastructure play, something that grows in value as the institution builds on it, integrates it, and adapts it to how the bank truly works.
Misconception: ROI is immediate
Think of how banks first adopted customer relationship management (CRM) software. When you buy a CRM, day one it delivers zero value. If you don’t load it with data, train your teams, and shape it around your sales process, it amounts to little more than an expensive address book. Yet over time, as institutions invested the effort, CRM became indispensable infrastructure that’s critical to how banks manage relationships, forecast value, and run their businesses.
Enterprise AI works the same way. Out of the box, it is not a magic solution. It only becomes valuable when it’s fed with the bank’s knowledge, connected to daily workflows, and continuously refined through training and adoption. It’s like a gym membership: if you’re not willing to put in the work, to use it and customize it to your own needs, it’s just a money suck.
What ROI really depends on
ROI from AI isn’t about the technology itself, but about how the institution uses it. Just like CRM, outcomes are subjective and unique to each bank or credit union. Two institutions could invest in the same AI platform and see radically different results based on:
Institutions that treat AI as a plug-and-play solution will see limited gains. But those that view it as core infrastructure (and invest accordingly) will see compounding returns over time.
Value appreciation
The real power of AI is that it appreciates in value. The more data you give it, the more time you spend working with it, the smarter and more effective it becomes. The more employees rely on it, the more institutional knowledge is captured and applied. Over months and years, AI like Hapax’s Bank Intelligence Platform becomes not just a tool, but the connective tissue across teams - helping banks make faster decisions, serve their clients more effectively, and uncover opportunities that would otherwise be missed.
That’s why the ROI conversation in banking needs to shift. We must stop looking for quick wins, and focus instead on sustained transformation. Just as no bank today questions the need for CRM, the day will come when AI platforms are seen as non-negotiable infrastructure. The early adopters who understand that will be the ones best positioned to realize exponential value.
The bottom line
Visiting the gym once or twice isn’t enough to achieve the long-term health benefits you’re looking for. No matter your objectives - weight loss, muscle definition, endurance, etc. - actualizing them requires discipline and a willingness to put in the work.
Similarly, you won’t get instant ROI gratification from your AI investments. It’s earned over time as the result of strategy, execution, and commitment. Banks that invest in AI as infrastructure, rather than a side experiment, will find ROI taking many forms: efficiency, resilience, differentiation, and long-term growth.