New Report Finds Most Banks Unprepared for AI Due to Data Quality Gaps
ROANOKE, Va., November 20, 2025 – A new report commissioned by KlariVis, a
leading performance intelligence platform built for financial institutions, and
conducted by Cornerstone Advisors, a leading provider of business and technology consulting
services for banks, credit unions and fintech firms, reveals that most
community banks and credit unions are not yet equipped to leverage artificial
intelligence fully. The report notes inadequate data quality and infrastructure
emerging as the primary barriers.
The study, titled “Improving Your
Financial Institution’s Data Execution Quality (EQ),” surveyed more than
120 financial institutions to assess how effectively they manage and use data
across critical business functions. The findings show that the average institution
scored 241 out of a possible 500 on Cornerstone’s Data Execution Quality (EQ)
index, indicating that most banks are only about halfway toward achieving
optimal data utilization.
While more than one-third of
community institutions have already deployed AI tools such as chatbots and
another quarter are experimenting with generative AI, the research underscores
that such initiatives are unlikely to succeed without stronger data
foundations.
“AI holds tremendous promise for
community banks and credit unions, but the findings make it clear that data
maturity must come first,” said Kim Snyder, founder and CEO of KlariVis.
“Financial institutions cannot expect meaningful AI outcomes when they are
still working with fragmented systems and inconsistent data practices.
Strengthening data visibility and quality is the first step toward responsibly
unlocking AI’s potential.”
The report highlights the close
link between data EQ and AI readiness, showing that institutions with higher
data EQ scores share key characteristics such as treating data as a strategic
asset, fostering a culture of data-driven decision-making and conducting
regular reviews of data strategy.
“There is no AI strategy without
a data strategy,” said Ron Shevlin, Chief Research Officer at Cornerstone
Advisors and author of the report. “Financial institutions that invest in
improving data quality, governance and accessibility will be the ones best
positioned to see measurable results from AI.”
The full report, “Improving Your
Financial Institution’s Data Execution Quality (EQ),” is available for download here.
About KlariVis
KlariVis is a banker-built
performance intelligence platform that drives clarity, confidence, and speed
for financial institutions – all in one platform. Designed by former bankers,
KlariVis unifies fragmented data from across the institution: lending,
deposits, operations, finance, and marketing into a single source of
truth. The result? Decision velocity that powers profitability and growth. For
more information, please visit KlariVis.com
About Cornerstone Advisors
For over 20 years, Cornerstone Advisors has delivered gritty
insights, bold strategies, and data-driven solutions to build smarter banks,
credit unions, and fintechs. From technology system selection and
implementation to contract negotiations, vendor management, performance
improvement programs, strategic planning, merger integration, and enterprise
program management, Cornerstone combines its expertise with research and
proprietary data to help financial institutions thrive in today’s challenging
environment.