Esc

Type to search

Articles fintech The Real Reason Companies Are Struggling to Scale AI

The Real Reason Companies Are Struggling to Scale AI

May 19, 2026 pymnts.com fintech

⦿ Executive Snapshot

  • What: Companies are facing challenges in scaling AI despite increased budgets and executive support.
  • Who: Financial services, healthcare, and media & advertising sectors.
  • Why it matters: Understanding sector-specific barriers to AI deployment is crucial for improving operational infrastructure and maximizing investment.

⦿ Key Developments

  • 85% of financial services and insurance firms plan to increase AI spending in the next year.
  • 60% of healthcare firms rely on pilot funding with no formal ROI requirements, indicating a struggle to integrate AI into workflows.
  • Data quality is cited as the biggest obstacle for 30% of financial services firms, while healthcare faces both data quality and system integration issues.

⦿ Strategic Context

  • Financial services have a more mature AI infrastructure, but data quality issues limit broader AI use cases.
  • Healthcare's fragmentation of clinical data across systems presents a structural challenge for AI integration, rather than a philosophical one.

⦿ Strategic Implications

  • Financial services must improve data quality to avoid plateauing productivity gains from AI investments.
  • There is a market opportunity for FinTech solutions that address integration challenges in the healthcare sector.

⦿ Risks & Constraints

  • Financial services may struggle with implementation if data quality issues remain unaddressed.
  • Healthcare's reliance on fragmented systems poses a risk to effective AI deployment and operational efficiency.

⦿ Watchlist / Forward Signals

  • Monitor the rollout of solutions that enhance data pipelines and governance in financial services.
  • Watch for developments in healthcare integration solutions that can connect disparate clinical and operational systems effectively.
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What challenges are companies facing in scaling AI?

Companies are struggling to scale AI due to issues like data quality and system integration, despite increased budgets and executive support.

Why is data quality important for financial services firms?

Data quality is crucial for financial services firms as it is cited as the biggest obstacle for 30% of them, limiting broader AI use cases and productivity gains.

How does healthcare's data fragmentation affect AI integration?

Healthcare's fragmentation of clinical data across systems presents a structural challenge for AI integration, making it difficult to implement effective solutions.

MORE

Related Articles