# Fifth Third Bancorp: Proprietary AI

Source: https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/fifth-third/proprietary-ai
Last updated: Oct 22, 2026

*Part of the [Fifth Third Bancorp AI strategy profile](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/fifth-third).*

## What proprietary AI has Fifth Third built in-house?

Fifth Third buys most of its technology but has built a few AI systems of its own. CIO Jude Schramm said in December 2024 that the bank does 'a little bit more buy than build' and caps customisation of any third-party platform at 5%. The clearest in-house work is Jeanie, the mobile-app assistant introduced in 2020: a team led by Art Weston, director of AI transformation, re-architected the natural-language-understanding algorithm from chatbot provider LivePerson, raising intent accuracy from about 25% to about 90% (June 2024), and the bank reports self-service containment up from 3% to 42% (August 2026). That work and generative-AI safety are covered by two granted patents naming Weston: US 12,482,454 B2 (November 25, 2025) on training and deploying NLU models and US 12,556,388 B1 (February 17, 2026) on a jailbreak-resistant security framework. Jay Budzik, a senior vice president, manages a team of AI scientists moving the bank's lending models from traditional methods to AI, which he said in October 2026 should expand the balance sheet 'by billions'. The bank also built Newline's Model Context Protocol server (December 2025) and AI tools that monitored the 2026 Comerica conversion. Its 10-K says AI 'may be developed internally' or come from third- or fourth-party providers; model providers for the lending work are not disclosed. ([Fortune](https://fortune.com/2024/12/04/fifth-third-cio-ai-buy-rather-than-build/), [Fifth Third (SEC filing)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/35527/000003552726000197/a2026bostonroadshow-fina.htm), [American Banker](https://americanbanker.com/news/overhauling-chatbots-harnessing-gen-ai-art-weston-fifth-third), [Fifth Third](https://www.53.com/content/fifth-third/en/media-center/press-releases/2026/press-release-2026-08-12.html), [Google Patents (USPTO)](https://patents.google.com/patent/US12482454B2/en), [Google Patents (USPTO)](https://patents.google.com/patent/US12556388B1/en), [Northwestern McCormick School of Engineering](https://mccormick.northwestern.edu/computer-science/news-events/news/articles/2026/alum-spotlight-jay-budzik.html), [Fifth Third](https://www.53.com/content/fifth-third/en/media-center/press-releases/2026/press-release-2026-04-13.html), [American Banker](https://www.americanbanker.com/news/fifth-third-says-its-using-ai-to-track-comerica-conversion), [Fifth Third (SEC filing)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/35527/000003552726000124/fitb-20251231.htm))

## Which AI systems has Fifth Third built itself?

Systems the bank or its executives describe as built in-house, oldest first. 'Built on' records what has been disclosed about the underlying technology.

| Platform or model | What it does | Built on | Since | Status | Sources |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Branch-siting models (Decision Science Group) | Computer modelling that informs branching decisions; the Southeast expansion was 'enabled by geospatial analytics' | In-house analytics | 2018 | In use | [The Financial Brand](https://thefinancialbrand.com/news/banking-technology/in-crypto-and-ai-fifth-third-balances-innovation-excitement-with-practical-application-189041), [Fifth Third (SEC filing)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/35527/000003552726000197/a2026bostonroadshow-fina.htm) |
| Jeanie language understanding | Identifies what customers ask at the start of a chat so requests can be automated; intent accuracy about 25% to about 90%; containment 3% to 42%; more than 150 banking needs | LivePerson's NLU algorithm, re-architected by the bank's team | 2020 (Jeanie); 2023 (AI-powered Jeanie 2.0) | In production | [American Banker](https://americanbanker.com/news/overhauling-chatbots-harnessing-gen-ai-art-weston-fifth-third), [Fifth Third](https://www.53.com/content/fifth-third/en/media-center/press-releases/2026/press-release-2026-08-12.html), [Fifth Third (SEC filing)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/35527/000003552726000197/a2026bostonroadshow-fina.htm) |
| Consumer acquisition and retention models | Machine-learning algorithms to decide which consumers to acquire and retain and which relationships to deepen | Not disclosed | June 2024 | In use | [American Banker](https://americanbanker.com/news/overhauling-chatbots-harnessing-gen-ai-art-weston-fifth-third) |
| Cash-structuring monitoring model (patent) | A deep learning model, generated from an ensemble teacher model, that monitors for cash structuring activity | Bank-owned patent US 11,868,865 B1 | Granted January 9, 2024 | Granted; deployment not disclosed | [Google Patents (USPTO)](https://patents.google.com/patent/US11868865B1/en) |
| NLU training method (patent) | Methods and systems for training and deploying natural-language-understanding models; Weston said he had applied for patents on the technology his team created to make Jeanie better | US 12,482,454 B2; inventors include Arthur Eladio Weston | Granted November 25, 2025 | Granted | [Google Patents (USPTO)](https://patents.google.com/patent/US12482454B2/en), [American Banker](https://americanbanker.com/news/overhauling-chatbots-harnessing-gen-ai-art-weston-fifth-third) |
| Newline MCP server and Skills | Connects AI models to Newline APIs, data and services; Skills guide models to use tools, apply workflows and follow development templates | Model Context Protocol | December 2025; Skills April 13, 2026 | In production | [Fifth Third](https://www.53.com/content/fifth-third/en/media-center/press-releases/2026/press-release-2026-04-13.html) |
| AI security framework (patent) | Resists jailbreaking, attempts to bypass a model's built-in constraints, using dynamically changing keys | US 12,556,388 B1; inventors include Arthur Eladio Weston | Granted February 17, 2026 | Granted; deployment not disclosed | [Google Patents (USPTO)](https://patents.google.com/patent/US12556388B1/en), [American Banker](https://americanbanker.com/news/overhauling-chatbots-harnessing-gen-ai-art-weston-fifth-third) |
| Comerica conversion monitoring tools | Listened to Teams or Slack feeds for signs of delay and fed real-time dashboards across 'tens of thousands' of checklist items; escalated treasury-management issues faster | Not disclosed | July 17, 2026 (Q2 2026 call) | Used for the 2026 conversion | [American Banker](https://www.americanbanker.com/news/fifth-third-says-its-using-ai-to-track-comerica-conversion) |
| AI lending models | Lending models upgraded 'to use AI instead of traditional methods', planned to expand the balance sheet by billions; next-generation models to automate paper-based document processing | Not disclosed | October 12, 2026 | Under way | [Northwestern McCormick School of Engineering](https://mccormick.northwestern.edu/computer-science/news-events/news/articles/2026/alum-spotlight-jay-budzik.html) |
| Agentic Jeanie and AI universal search | Listed as a 2026 milestone in the July 2026 investor deck | Not disclosed | 2026 | No launch date or capability list published | [Fifth Third (SEC filing)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/35527/000003552726000197/a2026bostonroadshow-fina.htm) |

## Who builds Fifth Third's in-house AI?

Chief Information Officer Jude Schramm owns the technology agenda and the buy-first rule: platforms are bought where 'parity is good enough', and Fifth Third customises no more than 5% of any third-party platform. ([Fortune](https://fortune.com/2024/12/04/fifth-third-cio-ai-buy-rather-than-build/))

Art Weston, director of AI transformation, led the Jeanie overhaul: 'I and a few members of the team spent many months' on it before the team 're-architected the way the natural language understanding algorithm operates'. He is a named inventor on both the NLU and the AI-security patents. ([American Banker](https://americanbanker.com/news/overhauling-chatbots-harnessing-gen-ai-art-weston-fifth-third), [Google Patents (USPTO)](https://patents.google.com/patent/US12482454B2/en), [Google Patents (USPTO)](https://patents.google.com/patent/US12556388B1/en))

Jay Budzik, a senior vice president, 'manages a team of AI scientists working on a variety of initiatives across consumer products and central operations', including the lending-model upgrade and document automation, per Northwestern's October 2026 profile. ([Northwestern McCormick School of Engineering](https://mccormick.northwestern.edu/computer-science/news-events/news/articles/2026/alum-spotlight-jay-budzik.html))

The Decision Science Group, under chief strategy officer Ben Hoffman, built the branch-siting models; Hoffman said in May 2025 that IT teams have been 'building things, not to put into production, but to help us understand the technology'. ([The Financial Brand](https://thefinancialbrand.com/news/banking-technology/in-crypto-and-ai-fifth-third-balances-innovation-excitement-with-practical-application-189041))

## What does Fifth Third build, and what does it buy?

Schramm framed the policy in December 2024 as a matter of IT capital: 'for us to be nimble, we had to strategically lean into partnerships and do a little bit more buy than build'. He estimated that building nCino's commercial loan system in-house would have taken five times longer and cost about twice as much; generative-AI tools came from Microsoft (365 and GitHub Copilot). ([Fortune](https://fortune.com/2024/12/04/fifth-third-cio-ai-buy-rather-than-build/))

The build happens on top of bought components: Jeanie's language understanding started from LivePerson's algorithm and was re-architected by the bank, and the patents protect the bank's training method and security layer rather than a foundation model. ([American Banker](https://americanbanker.com/news/overhauling-chatbots-harnessing-gen-ai-art-weston-fifth-third), [Google Patents (USPTO)](https://patents.google.com/patent/US12482454B2/en), [Google Patents (USPTO)](https://patents.google.com/patent/US12556388B1/en))

The 2025 10-K states both paths: 'AI may be developed internally by Fifth Third, or may be provided to Fifth Third by third- or fourth-party service providers', and warns that any such technology could significantly affect the effectiveness of internal controls. ([Fifth Third (SEC filing)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/35527/000003552726000124/fitb-20251231.htm))

On the October 19, 2026 call CFO Bryan Preston said AI efficiency is 'a little bit longer term out' and takes 'near term investment' in compute capacity and infrastructure for AI deployment; CEO Tim Spence said the bank needs the profitability 'to sustain the long term investments in growth and AI'. ([The Motley Fool (Yahoo Finance)](https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/fifth-third-fitb-q3-2026-174313352.html))

## What has Fifth Third not disclosed about its proprietary AI?

Fifth Third has not said which models power its AI lending models, the conversion-monitoring tools or the planned Agentic Jeanie, whether the two AI patents are deployed in production, or how many AI scientists work for Budzik. ([Northwestern McCormick School of Engineering](https://mccormick.northwestern.edu/computer-science/news-events/news/articles/2026/alum-spotlight-jay-budzik.html), [American Banker](https://www.americanbanker.com/news/fifth-third-says-its-using-ai-to-track-comerica-conversion), [Fifth Third (SEC filing)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/35527/000003552726000197/a2026bostonroadshow-fina.htm))

No AI budget or in-house foundation model is on the record. In December 2024 the bank had not yet adopted generative AI for use with external customers, and humans remained in the loop for all actions requiring a decision. ([Fortune](https://fortune.com/2024/12/04/fifth-third-cio-ai-buy-rather-than-build/), [The Financial Brand](https://thefinancialbrand.com/news/banking-technology/in-crypto-and-ai-fifth-third-balances-innovation-excitement-with-practical-application-189041))

## What does the Fifth Third profile record on this topic?

| Date | Move | Detail | Sources |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 12, 2026 | AI chief Jay Budzik describes the lending-model upgrade | Senior vice president Budzik, who manages the bank's AI scientists, says the bank plans to expand its balance sheet by billions by moving lending models to AI and to automate paper-based document processing. | [Northwestern McCormick School of Engineering](https://mccormick.northwestern.edu/computer-science/news-events/news/articles/2026/alum-spotlight-jay-budzik.html) |
| Oct 1, 2026 | CMO: generative AI kept away from customers on purpose | Melissa Stevens tells The Financial Brand's podcast that Fifth Third deliberately kept generative AI away from its customers, choosing accuracy over personality, after growing Jeanie from barely 20% accuracy in its early days to the low 90s; she also discusses carrying 500,000 Comerica customers into the Fifth Third brand without breaking their trust. | [The Financial Brand](https://thefinancialbrand.com/banking-podcasts/fifth-third-succeeds-through-empowered-employees) |
| Sep 15, 2026 | Barclays conference: AI in the conversion, bilingual Jeanie and search usage doubles | COO Jamie Leonard says Jeanie now handles all intents in Spanish and English, and search and Jeanie activity doubled in the first week for former Comerica customers; AI was used for conversion monitoring, code writing and due-diligence savings work. | [Investing.com](https://investing.com/news/transcripts/fifth-third-at-barclays-conference-comerica-deal-lifts-growth-plans-93CH-4901613) |
| Sep 14, 2026 | Investor deck lists 'Agentic Jeanie' as a 2026 milestone | Barclays conference presentation: 'Agentic Jeanie & universal search powered by AI' in the bank's two-decade timeline; about 25,200 employees and $300 billion of assets after Comerica. | [Fifth Third (SEC filing)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/35527/000003552726000219/a2026barclaysconference-.htm) |
| Sep 8, 2026 | Comerica technology and brand conversion completed | About 600,000 customers' accounts and 293 banking centres in Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan and Texas moved onto Fifth Third platforms over Labor Day weekend; the combined bank has more than $300 billion in assets. | [Fifth Third](https://53.com/content/fifth-third/en/media-center/press-releases/2026/press-release-2026-09-08.html) |
| Aug 12, 2026 | Jeanie named Best Chatbot of 2026 | Tearsheet AI Innovation Awards. | [Fifth Third](https://www.53.com/content/fifth-third/en/media-center/press-releases/2026/press-release-2026-08-12.html) |
| Jul 17, 2026 | Q2 2026 call: AI metrics for engineering and a pledge to accelerate AI spend | 1 million-plus prompts in June; 45% prompt accepted rate for new code; 87%-plus of unit testing automated by AI; an AI 'intelligence layer' monitoring the Comerica conversion. | [Motley Fool (Yahoo Finance)](https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/fifth-third-fitb-q2-2026-002717146.html) |
| Jul 17, 2026 | AI tracks the Comerica conversion | CFO: AI tools aggregate and analyse conversion conversations and flag schedule slips. | [American Banker](https://www.americanbanker.com/news/fifth-third-says-its-using-ai-to-track-comerica-conversion) |
| Apr 17, 2026 | Q1 2026 call: Plaid on Newline, tight limits on AI-infrastructure lending | Plaid launched a payment product on Newline alongside Stripe and Circle; Spence calls the tech conversion the largest transaction risk and plans three or four mock conversions; software loans are under 1% of the book and funded data-centre exposure under $100 million. | [earnings call transcript (The Motley Fool)](https://fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2026/04/17/fifth-third-fitb-q1-2026-earnings-transcript), [Investing.com](https://investing.com/news/transcripts/earnings-call-transcript-fifth-third-bancorp-beats-eps-forecasts-in-q1-2026-93CH-4621035), [American Banker](https://www.americanbanker.com/news/fifth-third-ceo-on-comerica-integration-so-far-so-good) |
| Apr 13, 2026 | Newline MCP server adds Skills | Standardises how AI models use tools and workflows for embedded-finance clients. | [Fifth Third (Business Wire via Yahoo Finance)](https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/technology/articles/fifth-third-newline-extends-mcp-120000221.html) |
| Feb 17, 2026 | Jailbreak-resistance patent granted | US 12,556,388 B1, Security framework for artificial intelligence systems: dynamically changing keys to resist attempts to bypass a model's built-in constraints; filed 19 August 2024 on a May 2024 provisional. | [Google Patents (USPTO)](https://patents.google.com/patent/US12556388B1/en) |
| Feb 1, 2026 | Comerica merger closes | The 8-K gives February 1, 2026 as the closing date; closed in under four months, with the systems conversion scheduled for Labor Day weekend. | [Fifth Third (SEC filing)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/35527/000119312526032625/d642888d8k.htm), [American Banker](https://www.americanbanker.com/news/fifth-third-ceo-on-comerica-integration-so-far-so-good), [Fifth Third](https://53.com/content/fifth-third/en/media-center/press-releases/2026/press-release-2026-09-08.html) |

## Common questions

### Does Fifth Third build its own AI models?

Some, but not foundation models. Fifth Third's team re-architected the language-understanding model behind Jeanie (originally LivePerson's), holds granted patents on NLU training and on an AI security framework, and has AI scientists upgrading its lending models to AI. For most technology, including generative-AI tools from Microsoft, the CIO says the bank does 'a little bit more buy than build'.

### Is Jeanie built in-house?

Partly. Jeanie's language-understanding algorithm came from chatbot provider LivePerson; a Fifth Third team led by Art Weston re-architected how it works, raising intent accuracy from about 25% to about 90% by June 2024, and patented the training method (US 12,482,454 B2, November 2025). The bank reports containment up from 3% to 42% and lists 'Agentic Jeanie' as a 2026 milestone.

### What AI patents does Fifth Third hold?

Fifth Third Bank, N.A. holds US 12,482,454 B2 (November 25, 2025) on training and deploying natural-language-understanding models, US 12,556,388 B1 (February 17, 2026) on a jailbreak-resistant AI security framework using dynamically changing keys, and US 11,868,865 B1 (January 9, 2024) on cash-structuring monitoring with a deep learning model.

### How is Fifth Third using AI in lending?

Jay Budzik, the senior vice president who manages the bank's AI scientists, said in October 2026 that Fifth Third plans to 'safely expand our balance sheet by billions' by upgrading the models used in its lending businesses to AI instead of traditional methods, and is automating paper-based document processing with next-generation models.

### What AI did Fifth Third build for the Comerica conversion?

CEO Tim Spence said on the July 2026 call that the bank 'built some pretty cool tech tools' that monitored the conversion in real time by listening to Microsoft Teams or Slack feeds for signs of delay. CFO Bryan Preston said they fed real-time dashboards over tens of thousands of checklist items and escalated treasury-management issues faster.
## Deeper on Fifth Third

- [What is Fifth Third's AI strategy?](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/fifth-third/ai-strategy)
- [What AI patents, research and partnerships does Fifth Third have?](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/fifth-third/ai-research-patents-partnerships)
- [What is Jeanie, and how does Fifth Third use AI in its virtual assistant?](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/fifth-third/virtual-assistant)
- [How does Fifth Third use AI in payments?](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/fifth-third/payments-ai)
- [What technology stack does Fifth Third run?](https://www.bankingnewsai.com/banks/fifth-third/technology-stack)


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