CommBank launches research partnership with Melbourne Business School to explore attitudes towards AI in banking

Commonwealth Bank has launched a new research partnership with Melbourne Business School to better understand how Australians perceive, use and trust artificial intelligence (AI) over time, as the technology increasingly shapes the banking and financial services industry.

As part of the partnership, CommBank and Australia’s number one business school have established the AI Attitudes Barometer, a longitudinal research initiative designed to explore Australians’ understanding, adoption and sentiment towards AI within financial services.

With guidance from Melbourne Business School’s Chair of Trust and Professor of Management, Nicole Gillespie, the ongoing study will provide insights into customer perspectives and how attitudes evolve as AI becomes more embedded in everyday services.

CommBank’s Chief Behavioural Scientist, Will Mailer, said the research will provide valuable insights as AI adoption grows over time.

“AI is evolving rapidly, and it’s critical that we understand how Australians feel about its use in banking,” Mr Mailer said.

In 2025, Professor Gillespie and the University of Melbourne, in collaboration with KPMG, released a global study which found that Australians can be apprehensive about the use of AI, with acceptance, adoption and literacy lower than in other advanced economies.

“Our study of over 48,000 people across 47 countries revealed that Australians are optimistic about AI’s benefits, while also mindful of the risks. This is why four in five Australians say they would trust the use of AI more when practices are in place to ensure its responsible and ethical use,” Professor Gillespie said.

The AI Attitudes Barometer builds on this global context, offering new insights into attitudes towards AI in banking and financial services.

Mr Mailer said early insights show Australians’ overall sentiment toward AI in banking is consistent with their views on AI in general. “Many Australians recognise the benefits while some remain unsure,” he said.

The proportion of participants that felt AI introduced more risk than benefits was lower in banking than in sectors including media, arts and entertainment, healthcare and education.

Many Australians also recognise the value that AI can bring to banking. Almost one in two participants (45%) agreed that banks using AI are able to provide better customer outcomes than banks which do not use AI.

“Australians recognise the value AI can bring to banking, especially when it is used to help protect customers in areas such as scam and fraud detection and cybersecurity,” Mr Mailer said.

When it came to banking services using AI, participants reinforced the importance of responsible practices. Almost seven in ten (69%) participants said they would be more likely to use a bank if they know their staff had been trained in safe, ethical, and responsible AI use.

“The AI Attitudes Barometer will help us stay closely connected to our customers’ lived experiences and support them as adoption grows,” Mr Mailer added.

These early insights into AI attitudes in banking come as CommBank published a report outlining its approach to adopting AI.

Note: The AI Attitudes Barometer is a study based on responses from 5,109 Australian adults collected anonymously through a nationally representative survey run from August to September 2025.