Type: News

Credit organizations with the highest AI impact introduce more than double the workforce and workflow changes, study finds

New research from the Global Institute of Credit Professionals reveals why organizations with similar levels of AI adoption are achieving very different business outcomes.

Organizations are rapidly embedding artificial intelligence into credit processes, but new research suggests that simply using more AI does not automatically translate into better business outcomes.

Our latest report, ‘Credit in the Age of AI’, finds that organizations with similar levels of AI adoption can achieve markedly different results, with success determined less by the technology itself and more by the organizational capability needed to embed AI effectively across its people, processes and operating models.

The findings show that AI adoption remains relatively shallow across much of the industry. 56% of organizations currently use AI in less than 25% of their credit processes, including 14% that are not using AI at all. Adoption is currently concentrated in lower-risk activities such as document drafting, financial analysis and market research, while AI is delivering its greatest reported impact in activities closest to credit decision-making, including risk assessment and credit scoring.

Despite relatively modest levels of adoption, organizations are already seeing measurable benefits. Nearly half (47%) of organizations using AI across just 25–49% of their workflows report high organizational impact, rising to 66% among those using AI across 50–75% of workflows. The findings suggest that how organizations implement AI is just as important as how much AI they use.

The report identifies governance as one of the clearest differentiators between organizations achieving high AI-enabled impact and those struggling to realize value. Sixty-seven per cent of organizations with eight or nine AI governance measures in place reported high AI-enabled impact, compared with just 23% of organizations with zero or only one governance measure in place. Similarly, 50% of organizations reporting high AI-enabled impact have formal governance frameworks in place, compared with only 18% of those where AI-enabled impact remains minimal or mixed.

Organizations reporting high AI-enabled impact also introduced more than twice as many workforce and workflow changes, averaging 2.58 organizational changes compared with 1.22 among organizations reporting lower AI impact, reinforcing that successful AI implementation requires organizational transformation as well as technology.

However, the research also reveals a significant disconnect between where organizations recognize challenges and where they are investing. Sixty-five per cent of respondents identified leadership and governance factors as the biggest barrier to successful AI adoption, yet only 38% plan to prioritize investment in this area.

The report also highlights what it describes as the “Two Waves of AI Value.” The first wave has focused on productivity gains from lower-risk applications such as drafting, summarization and research. The second wave is now emerging as organizations begin applying AI to underwriting, credit assessment and risk scoring. Overall, across organizations expecting disruptions from generative AI, autonomous decision-making or real-time monitoring, 79% are not yet deploying AI in the corresponding workflows, suggesting ambition continues to outpace organizational readiness.

Andreas Karaiskos, Executive Director of the Global Institute of Credit Professionals, said: “The conversation around AI has largely focused on adoption, but our research shows that adoption alone is not creating competitive advantage. Organizations with similar levels of AI activity are achieving very different outcomes because success depends on much more than technology. The organizations seeing the greatest impact are investing in governance, workforce capability and operating models that enable AI to be embedded effectively into day-to-day credit decision-making. As AI becomes an established part of the credit lifecycle, competitive advantage will increasingly depend on how well organizations combine technology with skilled professionals, sound judgment and effective execution.”

The report concludes that as AI becomes embedded across the credit lifecycle, competitive advantage will increasingly depend on an organization’s ability to embed AI across its people, processes and decision-making. Organizations that invest in governance, leadership, workforce capability and operational change alongside technology will be best placed to translate AI adoption into meaningful long-term business value.

Download the full ‘Credit in the Age of AI’ report.

GICP Accredits CreditSights’ New to Credit Program

The Global Institute of Credit Professionals is pleased to announce its accreditation of the CreditSights New to Credit program, an introductory learning experience designed to help individuals build a practical understanding of global credit markets.

Hosted by CreditSights and designed for those who are new to the industry, the program combines on-demand learning with knowledge checks and expert-led content covering a broad range of credit market topics. Participants benefit from accessible, self-paced learning developed by experienced market practitioners.

GICP accreditation recognizes the program’s contribution to professional development within the credit profession. The program provides learners with a structured starting point for building their knowledge and confidence.

As part of the program, participants receive complimentary GICP membership, providing access to thought leadership, industry insights, events, and ongoing professional development resources. The program also serves as a pathway to the Global Credit Certificate, GICP’s flagship professional qualification for credit professionals seeking to further develop their expertise and advance their careers.

More information about the program can be found on our New to Credit page.

‘Securitization from Crisis Reform to Heart of Credit Intermediation’ webinar recording

The recording is now available for our recent webinar exploring how securitization is evolving alongside regulatory change and the rapid growth of private markets.

Featuring Aymeric Poizot and Monsur Hussain, the discussion examined why securitization is increasingly moving to the forefront of modern credit markets and how it is being used to support funding, capital efficiency, and risk transfer across a broader range of market participants.

As private credit continues to expand and market structures evolve, the role of securitization is also changing. Once primarily associated with public markets, securitization is increasingly being used as a tool within private market strategies, creating new opportunities while raising important questions around regulation, transparency, and market development.

Key Discussion Topics

  • Regulatory developments and their impact on public credit markets
  • Why securitization is becoming an increasingly important private markets toolkit
  • How structured finance techniques are being applied in new ways
  • The relationship between securitization, private credit, and capital formation
  • What these developments mean for investors, issuers, and credit professionals

The conversation highlighted how securitization sits at the intersection of several major trends shaping today’s credit markets, making it an increasingly relevant area of knowledge for professionals working across lending, investing, risk management, and structured finance.

Watch the recording

HearstLab & Fitch Learning Take Major Stake in Founderz to Launch Strategic AI Partnership to Help Close Industry Skills Gap

Fitch Learning, the global leader in financial services education, and Founderz, Europe’s premier AI business school, today announced a strategic partnership that will provide learners worldwide with innovative, personalized training that combines Fitch’s deep expertise in financial services education with Founderz’s award-winning, multilingual AI learning platform and global community reach.

The partnership is underpinned by a strategic investment in Founderz by HearstLab, a Hearst investment arm. HearstLab invests globally in women-led companies building high-potential, category-defining businesses. Fitch Learning is part of Fitch Group, which is owned by Hearst.

“HearstLab’s investment in Founderz reflects our long-term commitment to dynamic, women-led technology startups, as well as advancing Fitch Group’s education mission” said Eve Burton, Executive Vice President, Hearst and Co-Founder & Chairwoman of HearstLab. “This partnership represents an investment model for us to connect companies building great technology with the operators across Hearst looking to scale innovation and maintain their competitive edge in an AI-first world.”

HearstLab’s international portfolio now extends to more than twenty investments outside the United States.

“Founderz is a powerful reminder of the importance of international markets. Hubs like Barcelona are producing extraordinary companies with the ambition, talent, and technology to scale globally and connect with leading corporations anywhere in the world,” said Azahara García, Director, HearstLab International.

Both enterprise clients and individual professionals will benefit from critical learning solutions to reduce skill gaps, support compliance and help scale across languages and geographies.

Fitch Learning serves more than 1,200 financial institutions and develops over 125,000 professionals annually, across every financial services sector: banking, global markets and trading, wealth and asset management, private credit and insurance.

“HearstLab’s investment in Founderz signals a step change in how professional skills will be developed in the years ahead. By partnering with Founderz, Fitch Learning is ensuring that financial services organizations can access these next-generation capabilities—empowering their people to learn faster, adapt quicker and stay ahead in an increasingly AI-driven world,” said Andreas Karaiskos, CEO of Fitch Learning.

Founderz is an AI business school and a Microsoft Worldwide Training Partner that specializes in artificial intelligence and business education. With a global community of over 630,000 learners across five continents, it delivers practical and accessible AI learning for professionals and organizations.

“Founderz has built a platform engineered to scale personalized learning, real-world practice, and AI adoption across languages and geographies,” said Anna Cejudo and Pau Garcia-Milà, Co-Founders, Founderz. “Working with Fitch Learning and HearstLab means those capabilities will be applied to content developed by practitioners who know financial services inside out, combining learning paths, simulations, and AI teammates to deliver measurable outcomes that organizations and learners can trust.”

“This partnership is an exciting new step for Fitch Group, designed to future-proof industry learning by delivering a best-in-class solution to our clients. Crucially, by combining Fitch Learning and Founderz, this will be AI-enabled learning built from inside financial services — not generic AI training applied to it from the outside,” said Paul Taylor, President & CEO of Fitch Group.

About HearstLab

HearstLab is a strategic corporate venture fund providing cash investments and operational support to women-led startups. Founded in 2016, HearstLab has invested globally in more than 90 companies with a combined valuation exceeding $3 billion. Portfolio companies benefit from access to resources across Hearst’s 370+ businesses and a Scout network of more than 200 women leaders who provide expertise and strategic guidance. HearstLab invests from the pre-seed to Series A stages with a goal of closing the gender gap in venture funding.

About Fitch Learning

Fitch Learning, part of Fitch Group, is a trusted global provider of financial education. Built on deep expertise in credit and strengthened by broad experience across financial services, we deliver impactful learning solutions through client-focused programs, courses and professional qualifications. Harnessing digital innovation and AI-driven learning tools, we empower organizations worldwide to build future-ready teams. Fitch Learning owns the Canadian Securities Institute, Certificate in Quantitative Finance Institute (CQFI), and the Global Institute of Credit Professionals, dedicated to supporting finance professionals throughout their career journeys.

About Founderz
Founderz is an AI business school and a Microsoft Worldwide Training Partner founded in 2021 by Pau Garcia-Milà and Anna Cejudo. The company helps professionals and organizations understand, adopt, and scale artificial intelligence in their day-to-day operations.

Through a combination of proprietary technology, practical learning content, AI agents, and learning experiences designed with industry experts, Founderz teaches how to apply AI in an ethical and responsible way to solve real-world problems, optimize processes, improve decision-making, and accelerate team and organizational transformation.

With more than 630,000 people trained and over 1,600 companies supported worldwide, Founderz has built a global community focused on applied AI learning.

Contacts:

HearstLab: Ashanti Pratt, Ashanti.Pratt@hearst.com

Fitch Learning: Ellen Schneidau, ellen.schneidau@allisonworldwide.com

Founderz: Mireia Català, mireia.catala@founderz.com

‘Private Credit: Real Yields vs Artificial Intelligence’ webinar recording

Access the recording of our webinar on private credit, real yields and AI in credit markets.

Aaron Mulvihill (JP Morgan Asset Management) discusses how changing yield conditions and AI-driven investment themes are influencing private credit opportunities and allocation decisions. The session is relevant for credit investors, portfolio managers and professionals assessing alternative income and private credit strategies.

Key takeaways

  • Private credit investor demand remains strong: Private credit remains a leading allocation within alternatives, supported by income generation and diversification benefits.
  • Real yields are supporting alternative income demand: Weak real yields in traditional portfolios have reinforced the case for alternative income sources.
  • Private credit yields are moderating as competition increases: While still offering a premium to public markets, yields have moderated due to lower rates and increased competition.
  • Private credit default risks and restructuring trends matter: Defaults remain relatively low, though investors are monitoring early indicators such as restructuring activity and payment-in-kind structures.
  • AI infrastructure investment is driving debt issuance: Rising capital investment in AI is driving new debt issuance, particularly in data center and infrastructure financing.
  • Manager selection is becoming more important in private credit: Increasing market complexity is expected to widen dispersion between managers, making due diligence more critical.

Watch the recording

Conference recordings now available

Recordings from the GICP Annual Conference 2026 – Private Credit are now available to watch on demand.

Held virtually the conference brought together experts from Fitch Ratings, CreditSights, and the wider industry to explore key developments in the private credit market.

The half-day event featured sessions on market trends, credit analysis across a range of private credit structures, emerging technologies including open source AI applications, and career development within the sector.

Visitors can now access recordings of all sessions via the conference web page.

New GCC Syllabus Unveiled, Reflecting Rapid Market Evolution

The Global Institute of Credit Professionals announces key updates to its syllabus for the Global Credit Certificate (GCC), incorporating new chapters on private credit and artificial intelligence (AI)-focused skills, that will enable credit professionals to better future-proof their careers.

This marks the first professional certification to blend traditional credit, private credit and AI- learning into one comprehensive syllabus.

Starting April 1, students will be able to access the enhanced GCC syllabus reflecting the new realities for professionals working in global credit markets. The explosive growth of private credit – global private credit assets under management (AUM) is projected to double by 2030 – has fundamentally reshaped the credit landscape, whilst AI adoption is transforming how credit professionals work. The updated curriculum equips analysts to navigate both shifts.

“These new chapters are the perfect complement to the traditional credit coverage in the GCC and will help our candidates build expertise that endures across market cycles and technological shifts,” said Andreas Karaiskos, Executive Director of the GICP and CEO of Fitch Learning, the global leader in financial learning and professional certifications.

The new GCC is the most comprehensive professional development and certification pathway in the credit analysis space.  The syllabus provides learners, both experienced and early career professionals, with full market coverage and the resources, expertise and fundamental skills needed to work in any area of credit. The certification teaches credit professionals to make better credit decisions, enabling them to navigate the changing market landscape and future-proof their careers.

“Professionals who achieve the certification set themselves up to capture opportunities across expanding credit markets and employers who invest in this credential build teams capable of offering clients the full-spectrum expertise today’s market demands,” added Karaiskos.

Highlights from the enhanced curriculum – which is developed for the industry, by the industry, with input from leading practitioners – include:

  • Private credit: Focused on real-world application, the curriculum goes beyond theory to equip participants with skills to analyze private credit deals using a structured approach. Candidates will gain hands-on experience and skills in areas including due diligence, deal structuring, and documentation; practical portfolio management strategies; and evaluation of investment vehicles that they can apply immediately.
  • AI: As the industry continues to innovate and adopt AI, workflows are evolving. This new chapter explores available tools, their use, as well as the impact of AI on credit now and in the future, plus considerations in the financial services sector including risks and compliance.

Get your copy of the new GCC syllabus here and sign up to one of the info sessions for more details.

‘AI in Credit Analysis: Best Practices, Prompt Patterns and Agentic Applications’ webinar recording

Explore this webinar on AI in credit analysis and agentic AI.

Adam Ahmed (GICP, Fitch Learning) explains how AI tools are being applied across credit workflows, from prompt design to workflow automation, and where their limits still matter. The session is relevant for credit and risk professionals and teams exploring practical AI use in research and analysis.

Key takeaways

  • AI in credit is shifting from models to workflow applications: Advances in AI are shifting from rapid model development to how models are integrated into real-world workflows, with growing focus on agentic AI.
  • Agentic AI introduces new capabilities and control risks: Unlike chat-based tools, agentic AI systems can execute tasks and iterate towards outcomes, introducing new capabilities, but also new control and security considerations.
  • AI adds most value in data-heavy credit analysis workflows such as sourcing, structuring and analyzing unstructured information, rather than replacing rule-based financial models.
  • Prompting and context management improve AI output quality: Effective use relies on well-structured prompts and careful management of context to maintain accuracy and relevance.
  • Human oversight remains essential in AI-driven credit work: Outputs should be treated as an extension of the user’s work, with responsibility for review and validation remaining with the analyst.
  • Agentic AI is reshaping roles in credit analysis: As agentic tools develop, professionals will increasingly need to manage AI workflows alongside traditional analytical responsibilities.

Watch the recording

‘Global Macro and Geopolitical Outlook 2026’ webinar recording

Access the recording of our webinar on the global macro and geopolitical outlook for 2026.

Jo Lock (GICP, Fitch Learning) and Cedric Chehab (BMI) examine the forces likely to shape the macro environment in 2026, including inflation, rates, geopolitics and fiscal policy. The session is relevant for credit investors, analysts and professionals tracking macro risks and market direction.

Key takeaways

  • Global growth is expected to remain broadly stable in 2026 supported by fiscal stimulus, monetary easing and continued corporate profitability.
  • Geopolitics remains the main macro risk driver: While economic volatility has eased, geopolitical risks, including trade tensions and regional instability, are likely to remain elevated.
  • Inflation is easing but remains above target in many markets with tariffs, energy prices and supply factors still relevant.
  • Interest rate decisions remain sensitive to inflation and labor markets: Central banks are expected to continue easing, though policy decisions remain sensitive to inflation and labor market developments.
  • Credit market conditions reflect high long-end yields and wider issuance, with expectations of some spread widening alongside resilient overall returns.
  • Structural shifts are creating a more complex global investment environment and uncertainty for investors.

Watch the recording

Announcing the new ‘Guide to Careers in Credit’: Navigating the future of credit

The GICP has published the latest edition of ‘A Guide to Careers in Credit’.  The guide is designed to help credit professionals understand where skills premiums are emerging, how roles are evolving, and how to position for opportunity amid today’s market dynamics and employer expectations.

The guide reflects a fast-shifting landscape shaped by higher-for-longer rates, the 2025–2027 refinancing wall, fluid career paths across sell side, buy side, private credit, risk and fintech, and rising expectations for communication, stakeholder management and ethics alongside core credit fundamentals.

What’s new:

  • Increased use of AI in credit:
    • The guide spotlights AI literacy and LLM application skills as key to improving speed and accuracy.
    • It details growing competencies in AI/ML for credit risk, including GenAI for data extraction/analysis and workflow optimization, plus AI/NLP tools for transcripts, filings and sentiment feeds used in production and research delivery.
  • Growth of private credit:
    • Private credit expansion is reshaping traditional career ladders, creating new mid-career entry points and boosting hiring in direct lending, special situations, origination, structuring and portfolio monitoring.
    • Market factors show increased competition for talent from private credit and hedge funds, lifting salaries in these areas, with private credit expertise commanding a premium.
  • Increased regulation in credit:
    • The guide highlights regulator demands (Basel III Endgame, ECB, Fed, FINMA) entering the credit agenda.
    • Hiring trends underscore demand for talent with regulatory awareness, AI model oversight and automation skills amid stronger oversight of disclosure and transparency.

Also inside:

  • Essential skills for the future of credit.
  • Career and learning and development pathways.
  • ‘What to watch’ sections highlighting key trends and market opportunities.
  • Compensation data for key roles and regions.

Explore the full guide to build a clear, long-term career pathway from early roles to senior leadership in credit.

Get your copy here.