From the invention of the wheel to the steam engine, the computer to the internet… artificial intelligence is shaping up to be the next big global change agent.

With $1 billion spent globally every day on AI — and a quarter of the world’s R&D dollars funneled into it — we’re witnessing a shift that’s impossible to ignore.

Innovate or get left behind – that was the clear message to walk away with at this year’s Digital Banking Summit.

But was it all AI hype? Or were there real insights? Real use cases? Something we can act on now.

Let’s take a look.

How did this summit stack up?

I’ve been lucky enough to emcee this event three years running, and each year brings a new lens.  While speakers and agendas change, the underlying conversation has evolved:

• 2023 focused on data, security, Open Banking, and the “battlefield in the time to yes.”
• 2024 gave AI the spotlight — but mostly in trial mode. “Random acts of AI” were everywhere, alongside questions about safety, speed, balance and scale.
• 2025? The conversations matured. Less theory, more traction. Less fluff, more frameworks. Innovation feels real and ready to roll.

Was it all about AI?

Thankfully not.  AI is a thread — not the whole story. And, as many reminded us: it doesn’t operate in a vacuum (not yet anyway).

As leaders in banking and financial services, we were challenged to zoom out.  To consider the broader ecosystem we’re working within — the tech, the processes, the people and the pace.

From the morning’s economic context (yes, people still need banks — even in uncertain times) to the final keynote, the message was clear:
It’s time to innovate, but how?

Key insights from the day

Whilst some of the following takeaways may feel familiar at first glance, what sets them apart this year is the depth and maturity of the conversations behind them, — and turning broad themes into tangible, actionable insights.

Technology is the enabler
We heard from Police Bank and The Mutual Bank on using tech to reduce friction, and how aggressive digital strategies are delivering real results.  And, proud moment — as an innovator paving the way forward, Nimo was part of that discussion too.

We strongly believe that lenders need to:

• Support proven innovators who are building modern, scalable solutions; and
• Invest in building internal capabilities — strengthening their bench for the long game.

What drives success — and what gets in the way
I asked the delegates to think of a moment of innovation that has driven success over the past 12 months.  The resulting word cloud revealed speed, ease of use and smart AI agents.  All enablers.

And the blockers to success?  A familiar story — friction, internal resistance, and under-mapped processes.

This was called out at the Whatfix session by Digital Adoption Consultant Sam Rosenthal who articulated:

50% of transformations blow the budget, miss deadlines, or miss the mark.

The fix?

Stop solving problems you don’t understand, and start with the people, the process, and a clear purpose.

Test it. Tweak it. Then scale it.
This message came through loud and clear from UserTesting — especially as we heard that 55% of CX creators are still making decisions based on guesswork, and 67% of concepts aren’t tested with real customers.

The COVID period briefly lifted CX performance, but that momentum is slipping — and without proper feedback loops, we’re flying blind.

The takeaway? Real impact comes from testing in the wild, listening early, and sometimes doing less measuring and more learning.

Customer Experience and technology need to work together
The irony of these sessions was that, ideologically, the two streams, CX and tech should be connected, yet the session groups were physically separated by a wall — a detail that several delegates pointed out as symbolic.

Peter and I took the liberty of trying to merge the two worlds with some humour and cross-reflections however, the question — and the insight — remains: Is this separation reflective of the real working world, and if so, how do we bridge the gap?

Notwithstanding…the two streams delivered complementary messages:

In the CX stream:

• We explored how to stay human — even when AI is in the driver’s seat.
• We got real on AI flavours — from GenAI to agentic to rule-based AI — and why use cases matter more than hype.
• Bonus terms of the day came from Bella Bain at Macquarie Group and included; Prompt parties, AI whisperers, MX (Machine Experience) and digital twins that might just outpace us. 
• Underpinning CX was a key message around trust.  We earn trust at every touchpoint and personalisation requires more than sending out an automated message every Tuesday.

In the tech stream:

• The focus was on scaling smart.
• ROI in under a year is possible — if we move with intent.
• The defining message: Don’t wait. Act now. Don’t let assumptions or legacy thinking hold you back.

So how do we take action now?

David Walker from Westpac closed the day with one of the strongest calls to action.
He emphasised that the shift from digital to intelligent isn’t coming — it’s already here.  We’ve entered a new era of interaction.

His four pillars:

1. People — The unlock. Build AI literacy across your org, engage everyone, not just the one innovation team.
2. Transitions — We are in it now, transitioning as I type!  Get ready for a new world, a web-to-chat world. A place of structured data to unstructured data, ready for AI to consume it.
3. Work — Scale what’s working and replace experimentation with focused research and development. With opportunities on the horizon, it’s crucial to understand your AI tools and the patterns emerging from use cases—ranging from retrieval and creation to action and data insights. Identify what’s working, what’s needed, and what’s next for your business.
4. Value — Build architectures around humans, not just the tech. That’s how you deepen relationships and deliver real outcomes.

Final thoughts from myself and Nimo

AI is still young in financial services — a toddler doing its best to impress. The tools have been democratised, but tools alone aren’t the answer.
The real opportunity is to innovate and scale with intention — by equipping innovation with the right support, the right tools, and a clear purpose.

It’s about partnering with experts who know how to move fast, build securely, and keep the customer at the centre of every decision.

That’s exactly what we’re focused on at Nimo, which is why we’re proud to be part of the conversation again this year — and proud to be a trusted partner shaping the future of banking and lending across Australia.

To all the delegates, speakers, and sponsors — thank you.

*One more thing – I’m really impressed with the new AI feature on the Event App that uses an AI prompt to rephrase and refine your questions. Such a great innovation!

If you’re ready to embrace digital transformation, what are you waiting for?

Chat with us today.

As CEO and co-founder of Nimo Industries, Leann leads the charge in driving digital transformation within the financial services sector. Having led change in the banking industry and witnessing the challenges lenders face in digitising processes—due to internal complexities, outdated legacy systems, and overly complicated solutions—Leann brings a unique perspective. Coupled with a background and practice in organisational psychology, she understands the cultural dynamics crucial for successful digital adoption and change management.

As adoption of the Nimo platform grows across financial services, Leann is passionate about not only implementing and digitising lending processes for lenders and members but also helping lenders navigate the complexities of transformation. She works to overcome the “this too shall pass” mindset, which can hinder progress. Nimo’s approach combines cutting-edge technology with a deep understanding of human behaviour, enabling FinTechs to succeed where others fail.