AI and data reshape commercial lending

Banks are shifting from siloed lending systems to integrated, AI-driven platforms that connect data, processes, systems, partners and staff across the full commercial lending lifecycle.

Lenders face pressure to improve efficiency, speed decisions, strengthen oversight and deliver a smoother borrower experience. Many are combining tools and workflows into end-to-end platforms to create consistent processes and clearer visibility over credit origination, portfolio monitoring and loan servicing.

Artificial intelligence is applied in underwriting, workflow automation, risk monitoring and servicing to standardize decisions and surface risks earlier. Real-time analytics provide continuous signals about borrower behavior and portfolio exposures, while APIs enable faster data flows between core systems, third-party data providers and specialist services.

Advances in data integration let banks link internal account records and transaction data with external sources such as industry indicators and supplier information. That combined view supports more accurate credit assessment, targeted servicing and identification of concentration issues and early warning signs.

Modernization efforts favor incremental approaches that avoid wholesale replacement of legacy systems. Common strategies include layering new functions over existing cores using API gateways, creating central data hubs, adopting modular components for lending stages and implementing orchestration software to coordinate workflows. Changes to operating models are encouraging cross-functional collaboration and selective use of external partners so information can flow across the credit lifecycle.

Banks are balancing innovation with operational resilience by prioritizing high-impact use cases and staging upgrades to limit business disruption. Institutions are identifying where AI can replace manual tasks, where automation will speed processing and where real-time analytics will be deployed for portfolio surveillance.

Findings from the Chartis Credit Lending Operations 2026 report highlight a growing focus on integrated platforms. An industry webinar hosted with FIS will convene experts to discuss real-time analytics and API ecosystems; scheduled participants include Dale Glajchen, vice president and head of commercial loan servicing and syndication at FIS; Anish Shah, research director at Chartis Research; Tim Probst, global head of commercial loan servicing, enterprise and client strategy at FIS; and moderator Sharon Kimathi.

Banks that are implementing these changes expect shorter processing times, improved risk oversight and smoother borrower interactions while maintaining the ability to update systems incrementally through staged projects.