Key takeaways:
- Nearly a third of borrowers now turn to AI tools to research loans — making it almost as common as asking friends and family for advice.
- The vast majority of borrowers say they trust lenders more when AI use is disclosed upfront.
- Three out of four consumers still want a human involved in loan approvals and closings.
- Half of borrowers say AI helped them make a borrowing decision — and that number is expected to jump to two-thirds for their next loan.
PwC asked consumers how they feel about the use of AI in the loan process
The adoption of artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly across sectors, and consumer lenders are racing to harness it. Lenders understand that they need to compete in an AI-driven discovery landscape, as well as reimagine processes end-to-end to increase efficiency and deliver a better customer experience. As lenders begin to build their AI capabilities, it’s crucial to understand how consumers want to interact with artificial intelligence throughout the lending life cycle.
PwC’s Consumer Lending Radar Survey is designed to bridge the gap between lender actions and consumer preferences. We provide a holistic view of how consumer preferences are evolving with a focus on AI’s growing influence. Is AI shaping consumer loan research and decisions? How is AI affecting the level of trust and comfort consumers place in tech-enabled interactions?
We also want to understand what today’s borrowers aspire to. Do they still consider it important to own a home or car? And if not, is that because of affordability or an interest in a shared-use model?
Lending institutions can use PwC’s Consumer Lending Radar Survey to help guide their AI roadmaps.
AI ambition meets consumer reality: What lenders need to know now
About this survey
PwC’s Consumer Lending Radar Survey was conducted from February 2 to March 15, 2026, and collected the views of US-based loan decision-makers who either utilized a mortgage or home equity line of credit or used financing to lease or purchase a vehicle within the past five years or plan to in the next 12 to 36 months. The number of respondents totaled 4,100.
