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Big U.S. Banks Tout AI Productivity Gains as Wells Fargo Signals 2026 Job Cuts

New figures from major lenders point to measurable efficiency gains expected to reshape staffing.

Overview

  • JPMorgan’s Marianne Lake said AI has lifted measured productivity to 6% from 3%, with operations specialists expected to improve by 40–50%, implying fewer roles on a net basis.
  • Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf said the bank expects a smaller workforce in 2026 and higher fourth‑quarter severance expenses as efficiency efforts advance.
  • Scharf reported generative AI has made Wells Fargo’s engineers 30–35% more efficient at writing code, with no reduction in coder headcount so far.
  • Wells Fargo plans a gradual AI rollout through 2026 and beyond, building on a multiyear efficiency drive that has cut headcount to just over 210,000 from 275,000 in 2019.
  • Citigroup’s incoming CFO cited a 9% productivity gain in coding from AI, while a Goldman Sachs memo outlined potential job cuts and a hiring slowdown tied to its OneGS 3.0 initiative.