How does Popular, Inc. compare with its peers on AI and technology?
Popular scores 32.1 on this site's US AI disclosure index (#85 of 120), eighth of the nine similar-sized regional banks in its peer group, ahead only of EverBank (3.3) and behind SouthState (70.9), Webster (68.7), First Horizon (68.7), Old National (66), Pinnacle (65.3), East West (49.2) and Wintrust (38.1). The gap is disclosure: Popular has five independent sources on its AI against a peer median of 11, and none of its last four earnings calls, October 2025 to July 2026, mentions AI. Three things separate it from named peers. Reach: Microsoft 365 Copilot had more than 1,000 active users among more than 9,000 employees in September 2025, while SouthState reports more than 2,500 premium Copilot users and 95% adoption (August 2026). Spending: Popular discloses technology and software expenses of $341.6 million for 2025; Old National reports $58.7 million of technology expense for the first half of 2026 against Popular's $180.1 million, on different definitions. Governance: a 2025 AI governance framework and a board Technology Committee chaired by Bertil Chappuis, CEO of the data and AI services firm Xtillion, oversee AI plans, but Popular names no AI executive, while Pinnacle has a head of AI and almost 20 AI engineers. In its home market Popular holds 66.4% of FDIC-insured deposits in Puerto Rico offices (June 30, 2026), and its closest local rival, Oriental, says in its 10-K that it already uses third-party AI in customer service.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]
Data as of Oct 19, 2026 · Popular profile updated Oct 19, 2026 · computed tables recalculate from the 140 bank profiles on this site · Markdown
Where does Popular lead its peers on AI?
01
More AI use cases in production than the peer median
Popular's profile records nine use cases in production, third of nine against a peer median of 7.5: Microsoft 365 Copilot, robotic process automation, automatic decisions on digital loan and card applications, enhanced fraud monitoring and an AI governance framework among them. Wintrust records seven and East West eight.[3][15][9][16]
02
A technology budget it actually publishes
Popular reports technology and software expenses of $341.6 million for 2025, up from $290.6 million in 2023, and $180.1 million for the first half of 2026. Old National discloses $58.7 million of technology expense for the same half-year, and First Horizon's 10-K says even a substantial IT budget cannot match the largest banks' spending. Definitions differ, so the figures show disclosure, not relative effort.[6][7][8][17]
03
Board AI oversight from a practitioner
Popular's board Technology Committee, which oversees plans for emerging technologies including AI and met four times in 2025, is chaired by Bertil Chappuis, CEO of the data-engineering and AI services firm Xtillion, and a 2025 AI governance framework sets the permitted uses of AI. SouthState's risk committee chair, Martin Davis, is a former Southern Company CIO.[10][9][18]
Where does Popular trail its peers on AI?
01
Almost no independent coverage of its AI
Popular has five independent sources on its AI on this site's index, ninth of nine, against 17 for First Horizon and a peer median of 11. Its dated AI record is a 2023 hackathon, a 2025 Microsoft customer profile and AI language in its 10-K.[19][3][6]
02
Silent on AI to investors while peers present it
No AI remark appears in Popular's last four earnings calls (October 2025 to July 2026). SouthState added an 'AI at SouthState' slide to its Q2 2026 deck with 12,000-plus Copilot prompts a day, First Horizon's CEO described ChatFHN and AI credit memos at Barclays in September 2026, and Pinnacle's CEO counted almost 20 AI engineers on the July 2026 call.[1][20][4][21][12]
Where does Popular rank against its peers on AI disclosure?
Scores from the US AI disclosure index of 120 banks (0–100; 45% of the weight on independent coverage). The index measures what each bank has put on the public record and what outside outlets have reported about its AI, not capability or spending; every count is of entries on that bank's profile, each of which cites its sources.
| Bank | Score | Rank | Independent sources | Own disclosures | Use cases in production | Moves, last 12 months | Named AI platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SouthState Bank | 70.9 | #33 of 120 | 12 | 16 | 10 of 20 | 20 | Copilot at scale, tested models, and Fiserv agentOS agents[5][24][25] |
| First Horizon | 68.7 | #36 of 120 | 17 | 13 | 7 of 16 | 22 | ChatFHN and the Enterprise Data Hub[26][27] |
| Webster Bank | 68.7 | #37 of 120 | 14 | 17 | 7 of 11 | 24 | Category IV readiness: data, cyber and open banking[28][29][30][31] |
| Old National Bancorp | 66 | #40 of 120 | 9 | 22 | 10 of 14 | 18 | Vendor-delivered automation on an acquisition-built bank[32][33][34][35] |
| Pinnacle Financial Partners | 65.3 | #42 of 120 | 12 | 17 | 9 of 12 | 21 | A head of AI inside a banker-led model[11][36][37][38][12] |
| East West Bancorp | 49.2 | #59 of 120 | 7 | 15 | 8 of 10 | 18 | In-house US–Hong Kong payments and partner technology[39][40][41] |
| Wintrust Financial Corporation | 38.1 | #76 of 120 | 8 | 16 | 7 of 9 | 16 | Not disclosed |
| Popular, Inc. (this page) | 32.1 | #85 of 120 | 5 | 14 | 9 of 11 | 16 | Not disclosed |
| EverBank Financial Corp | 3.3 | #109 of 120 | 10 | 5 | 0 of 5 | 12 | Not disclosed |
On which parts of the AI record is Popular ahead of or behind its peers?
Each row is one input of the index, counted on the profiles of Popular and the 8 peers that are scored on the same basis. "Place" is Popular's position in the group of 9 (1st = most).
| Component (weight) | Popular | Peer median | Most in the group | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent sources (45%) | 5 | 11 | First Horizon (17) | 9th of 9 |
| Use cases in production (10%) | 9 | 7.5 | SouthState (10) | 3rd of 9 |
| Own primary disclosures (10%) | 14 | 16 | Old National (22) | 7th of 9 |
| Dated moves, last 12 months (10%) | 16 | 19 | Webster (24) | 7th of 9 |
| Disclosed numbers (5%) | 13 | 15 | SouthState (20) | 6th of 9 |
| Named AI leaders (5%) | 8 | 11 | Webster (17) | 8th of 9 |
| Use cases described (5%) | 11 | 11.5 | SouthState (20) | 5th of 9 |
What has each bank in Popular's peer group disclosed about its AI?
Facts from each bank's profile, cited to the profile's own sources. "Not disclosed" means the bank's public record, as cited on its profile, does not state it.
| Bank | Platform or assistant, as the profile names it | AI leaders named | Headline AI number disclosed | Patents on the record | Open AI roles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Popular, Inc. | Not disclosed | 8, incl. Javier D. Ferrer (President and CEO, Popular, Inc.)[42][1] | Employees using Microsoft 365 Copilot (active): More than 1,000 of more than 9,000 (Sep 15, 2025)[3] | Not disclosed | Not surveyed |
| First Horizon | ChatFHN and the Enterprise Data Hub[26][27] | 13, incl. Bryan Jordan (Chairman, President and CEO)[43] | AI cost savings assumed in the $100 million incremental PPNR target: None (revenue-driven; expenses guided flat) (Apr 15, 2026)[44] | Not disclosed | Not surveyed |
| SouthState Bank | Copilot at scale, tested models, and Fiserv agentOS agents[5][24][25] | 10, incl. John Corbett (Chief Executive Officer)[45] | Copilot users (premium / active basic): 2,500+ / 2,200+ (Jun 30, 2026)[4] | None found (the profile's patent search)[46] | 1 open AI roles (Sep 24, 2026); most in AI engineering |
| Pinnacle Financial Partners | A head of AI inside a banker-led model[11][36][37][38][12] | 12, incl. Kevin Blair (President and CEO)[36][47][38][12] | AI engineers employed: almost 20 (Jul 23, 2026)[12] | Not disclosed | Not surveyed |
| EverBank Financial Corp | Not disclosed | 8, incl. Greg Seibly (Chief Executive Officer, EverBank Financial Corp)[48][49] | Not disclosed | 1 patent listed on the profile, e.g. US 6,904,412 B1 (Mortgage loan originator compliance engine)[50] | Not surveyed |
| East West Bancorp | In-house US–Hong Kong payments and partner technology[39][40][41] | 9, incl. Dominic Ng (Chairman and CEO)[51][41] | 2026 expense growth guidance (includes AI, cyber and monitoring investment): 7% to 9% (Apr 21, 2026)[52] | Not disclosed | 6 open AI roles (Oct 1, 2026); most in AI engineering |
| Wintrust Financial Corporation | Not disclosed | 10, incl. Tim Crane (President and Chief Executive Officer)[53][54][55] | Wintrust Specialty Finance originations, first half 2026 (with AI credit adjudication): More than 4,000 deals, roughly $500 million; team of 34 (Jun 30, 2026)[56] | Not disclosed | 1 open AI roles (Oct 5, 2026); most in responsible AI & governance |
| Webster Bank | Category IV readiness: data, cyber and open banking[28][29][30][31] | 17, incl. John Ciulla (CEO, Santander Bank, N.A.)[31][28] | Group business value targeted from data and AI (Santander): > €1 billion a year by 2028 (cost savings plus revenues) (Feb 25, 2026)[57] | Not disclosed | Not surveyed |
| Old National Bancorp | Vendor-delivered automation on an acquisition-built bank[32][33][34][35] | 12, incl. Jim Ryan (Chairman and CEO)[8][58] | Legacy Power BI code clean-up with AI: ≈ 1 week vs ≈ 1 month for top programmers (Apr 22, 2026)[59] | None found (the profile's patent search)[60][61] | 1 open AI roles (Oct 1, 2026); most in AI product & strategy |
What are the latest dated moves on the AI record of Popular and its peers?
The two newest dated entries of each bank since Oct 16, 2025, from the timelines of the profiles (which also log filings, results and deals that bear on the AI record), newest first.
| Date | Bank | Move |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 13, 2026 | EverBank | Federal Register notice of the Federal Reserve application[62] |
| Oct 2, 2026 | SouthState | Q3 2026 results scheduled[63] |
| Oct 1, 2026 | Pinnacle | Chief digital officer: 200,000-plus customers move to a new app in March 2027[64] |
| Oct 1, 2026 | SouthState | Edmonds profiled for tokenized-deposit and instant-payments work[65] |
| Oct 1, 2026 | First Horizon | The 2025 contest's winning entry: an automated CRE documentation platform[66] |
| Oct 1, 2026 | First Horizon | AI file-organisation tool saves hundreds of hours in three months[67] |
| Sep 28, 2026 | EverBank | WaFd FAQ sets out the two systems estates[68] |
| Sep 14, 2026 | East West | Barclays conference: CFO describes everyday AI use[69] |
| Sep 8, 2026 | Wintrust | Equipment-finance unit writes on financing the AI boom[70] |
| Sep 1, 2026 | Popular | García takes over as CEO[22] |
| Aug 26, 2026 | Wintrust | Wintrust insurance banking note: automated credit assessments, AI governance watch[71] |
| Aug 24, 2026 | East West | Third among top-performing banks over $50 billion[41] |
| Aug 20, 2026 | Webster | Integration plan: one platform by end-2027[72] |
| Aug 20, 2026 | Webster | Webster Bank, N.A. merges into Santander Bank, N.A.[73] |
| Aug 7, 2026 | Popular | Q2 2026 Form 10-Q: technology and software expenses $91.0 million[7] |
| Aug 4, 2026 | Pinnacle | Q2 10-Q: AI initiatives listed as an execution risk[74] |
| Jul 29, 2026 | Old National | Q2 2026 10-Q has no AI language[75][76][8] |
| Jul 22, 2026 | Old National | Q2 2026 call: AI for scalability[77] |
How does Popular's employee AI compare with its peers'?
The internal AI tools each bank has named and the reach it reports. Bases differ (active users, licences, adoption rates).
| Bank | Tool | Reach disclosed | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Popular | Microsoft 365 Copilot; Copilot-thon and prompt-a-thon training; 2023 generative-AI hackathon with Microsoft | More than 1,000 active users among more than 9,000 employees | September 2025[3][19] |
| SouthState | Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT (the two approved gen-AI apps); a GenAI Knowledge Assistant | 2,500-plus premium Copilot users; 12,000-plus prompts a day; 95% adoption | June-August 2026[4][5][24] |
| First Horizon | ChatFHN, an internal generative-AI tool | In everybody's hands; about 15 months in production by June 2026 | June-September 2026[26][21] |
| Pinnacle | AI used internally and through vendors' features | Almost 20 AI engineers and 40 power users | July 2026[12] |
| Old National | AI centre of excellence in technology and data teams | Legacy Power BI clean-up in about a week instead of a month | April 2026[59] |
| East West | AI in email, documents and presentations; Power BI dashboards built in days | Not published | September 2026[69] |
How does Popular's AI disclosure compare with its peers'?
Where each bank has put AI in front of investors: filings, decks and earnings calls.
| Bank | In filings | On calls and in decks | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Popular | 2025 10-K: AI as a competitive-adoption risk, a cyber and vendor risk, and under board risk-committee oversight; no AI in the 2026 10-Qs | No AI remarks on the last four calls | July 2026 call[6][7][1] |
| SouthState | Model testing before approval of gen-AI apps | An 'AI at SouthState' slide: about 90% of credit spreads by AI, 80% of monthly code AI-assisted | Q2 2026 deck[24][4] |
| First Horizon | 2025 10-K: seeking to accelerate data capabilities and responsible use of AI | CEO on ChatFHN, 100 contest ideas and AI credit memos | September 2026[17][21] |
| Old National | No AI language in the 2026 10-Qs | AI centre of excellence described on the Q1 2026 call | April 2026[75][59] |
| Webster | Integrated into Santander, whose investor day targets more than €1 billion a year from AI by 2028 | Group-level targets | February 2026[57] |
How does Popular's AI compare with its Puerto Rico competitors'?
The three locally based banks that hold most FDIC-insured deposits in Puerto Rico, with what each says about AI in its 2025 10-K. Deposit shares are of deposits in FDIC-insured offices in Puerto Rico at June 30, 2026; credit unions are not included.
| Bank | Share of FDIC-insured deposits in Puerto Rico | What its 2025 10-K says about AI | Other AI on the record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banco Popular de Puerto Rico (Popular) | 66.4% (156 offices) | AI as a competitive-adoption risk, a cyber and vendor risk, and under board oversight | Microsoft 365 Copilot; 2025 AI governance framework[13][6][3][9] |
| FirstBank Puerto Rico (First BanCorp) | 15.8% (57 offices) | No mention of artificial intelligence; competitors listed include fintech companies and digital platforms | Not on this site's record[13][78] |
| Oriental Bank (OFG Bancorp) | 11.3% (43 offices) | Has adopted AI 'mainly in customer service channels and data analytics' through third-party vendors and builds no proprietary AI | AI-powered self-service platform for leaders' analytics and development[13][14] |
Which banks are Popular's peers, and why these?
Popular, Inc. is compared here with First Horizon, SouthState Bank, Pinnacle Financial Partners, EverBank Financial Corp, East West Bancorp, Wintrust Financial Corporation, Webster Bank and Old National Bancorp: the US banks on this site nearest to it in business model (regional or retail-commercial bank) and assets on the Federal Reserve's large-bank list, with a preference for its home region (Southeast). Popular, Inc. is classed as a regional or retail-commercial bank in the Southeast.
Is Popular behind other banks on AI?
On what it discloses, yes: this site's index scores Popular 32.1, eighth of nine similar-sized regionals, and none of its last four earnings calls mentions AI. Its record shows Microsoft 365 Copilot for employees since late 2023, a 2023 generative-AI hackathon, a 2025 AI governance framework and board oversight of AI plans. SouthState, Webster and First Horizon score near 70 with named tools and investor-facing AI metrics.[1][3][19][9][10]
How does Popular's AI compare with Oriental's (OFG)?
Oriental says more about AI in its filing. OFG's 2025 10-K says it has adopted AI mainly in customer service channels and data analytics, uses third-party vendors' AI and builds no proprietary systems, and lists keeping pace with AI as a strategic risk. Popular's 10-K treats AI as a competitive, cyber and governance topic without describing deployments; its disclosed AI use is Copilot for employees.[14][6][3]
How does Popular's AI compare with FirstBank's?
Neither discloses much. FirstBank's parent, First BanCorp, does not mention artificial intelligence in its 2025 10-K, though it lists fintech companies and digital platforms among its competitors. Popular's 10-K names AI as a risk and a board-oversight topic, and Popular reports Copilot use and an AI governance framework. Popular is far larger at home, with 66.4% of FDIC-insured deposits in Puerto Rico offices against FirstBank's 15.8%.[78][6][9][13]
How does Popular's technology spending compare with its peers'?
Popular publishes a full technology and software expense line: $341.6 million in 2025 and $180.1 million in the first half of 2026, with $12.5 million of the 2025 increase tied to cloud infrastructure. Old National reports $58.7 million of technology expense for the first half of 2026. Popular discloses no separate AI budget, and its CFO says technology projects are not slowed to meet expense guidance.[6][7][8][1]
Who leads AI at Popular compared with its peers?
Popular has no chief AI officer; Camille Burckhart, chief information and digital strategy officer, leads data and AI strategy, and the board Technology Committee under Bertil Chappuis oversees AI plans. Pinnacle has a head of AI, Kevin Johnson; SouthState has an AI enablement manager; and Webster now sits under Santander's group chief data and AI officer.[22][10][11][5][79]
Why does Popular rank eighth in its peer group on this site's index?
The index weighs independent coverage at 45%, and Popular has five independent sources, the fewest in the group. It is third on AI use cases in production (nine) but seventh on its own disclosures and dated moves, and has no named AI platform. The score measures what is on the public record about AI, not how much Popular uses it.[6][3][1]
How does Popular's AI compare with SouthState's?
SouthState has put far more on the record: it scores 70.9 on this site's index against Popular's 32.1. SouthState reports more than 2,500 premium Copilot users, about 90% of credit spreads done by AI and 80% of monthly code AI-assisted (Q2 2026 deck). Popular reports more than 1,000 active Copilot users among more than 9,000 employees (September 2025) and no AI metrics on its calls.[4][3][1]
- Popular, Inc. (BPOP) Q2 FY2026 earnings call transcript
- Popular, Inc. (BPOPO) Q3 FY2025 earnings call transcript
- Popular's Luis Montalvo on how a 'digital teammate' is transforming the workplace
- SouthState second-quarter 2026 earnings presentation (Form 8-K, Exhibit 99.2)
- The Playbook for Enterprise AI Adoption with Walt Wear (Community Bank Podcast)
- Popular, Inc. Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025
- Popular, Inc. Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2026
- Old National Bancorp Reports Record Second Quarter 2026 Results; Announces Enhanced Executive Leadership Structure
- Popular Corporate Sustainability Report 2025 (PDF created 2026-06-11)
- Popular, Inc. 2026 Proxy Statement (Schedule 14A)
- Kevin Johnson, Head of AI, Pinnacle Financial Partners (Digital Banking speaker profile)
- Pinnacle Financial Partners (PNFP) Q2 FY2026 earnings call transcript
- Summary of Deposits: offices in Puerto Rico, June 30, 2026 (FDIC BankFind API, index of 2026-09-18; retrieved 2026-10-19)
- OFG Bancorp Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025
- Banco Popular (undated page, retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Popular, Inc. Form 8-K: cybersecurity incident at third-party provider Evertec, Inc.
- First Horizon Corporation Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025
- Leading Others Through a Technology Lens
- Popular hosts its 2023 A.I. Hackathon
- Popular, Inc. (BPOP) Q1 FY2026 earnings call transcript
- First Horizon at Barclays conference: push for deeper banking ties
- Leadership (page retrieved 2026-10-14)
- First Horizon at Raymond James Conference: Strategic Growth and Challenges (transcript)
- 6 things banks look for in gen AI models and companies
- Fiserv has co-created AI agents with six banks and OpenAI
- #36 First Horizon's CIO is zeroing in on 'data-as-a-product' in tech push
- The Most Powerful Women to Watch, No. 13, Tammy LoCascio, First Horizon Bank
- Webster eyes $100B threshold, invests in hiring and tech
- Webster Bank Implements Prolific Banking's FI-Streams Connector to Enable Commercial Client Financial Data Connectivity
- Impact Makers Award Winners – Q2 2026
- Santander to buy Webster for $12.3B
- Old National Receives 2026 Trust in Banking Award
- Old National Bank, Axletree Solutions Partnership Finalizes Critical Swift Architecture, Achieves ISO 20022 Compliance for 2026
- Four tips to identify AI solutions that solve real business problems
- What not to share when using AI for personal finance help
- Pinnacle points to new hires as proof that merger is working
- AI and Treasury Management: More Opportunity, More Risk
- Pinnacle (PNFP) Q1 2026 Earnings Transcript
- Banking & Finance Quarterly: Enduring Headwinds (Los Angeles Business Journal interview, reprinted by East West Bank)
- East West Bank to Offer Commercial Clients Worldpay Solutions
- The top-performing banks with more than $50B of assets in 2025
- Popular, Inc. Form 8-K: Retirement of Javier D. Ferrer; appointment of Jorge J. García as President and Chief Executive Officer
- First Horizon keeps options open amid M&A uptick
- First Horizon (FHN) Q1 2026 Earnings Transcript
- SouthState Bank Corporation Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results, Declares an Increase in the Quarterly Cash Dividend
- SouthState Bank Corporation Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025
- Pinnacle Financial, Synovus name leadership team to steer combined bank
- WaFd, Inc. Enters into a $3.9 Billion Reverse Merger Transaction with EverBank Financial Corp
- EverBank Completes Conversion and Rebrand of Sterling Bank & Trust
- US6904412B1: Method and apparatus for a mortgage loan originator compliance engine
- East West Bancorp Reports Record Net Income for 2025 of $1.3 Billion
- East West (EWBC) Q1 2026 Earnings Transcript
- Strategic Growth and Service By Investing.com
- Wintrust Financial Corporation (WTFC) Q2 FY2026 earnings call transcript
- Wintrust Financial Corporation Appoints Two Members to Board of Directors
- AI driving funding growth via credit adjudication
- Santander sets a new standard for profitable growth (Investor Day press release, filed on Form 425 regarding Webster)
- Acquisitive Old National eyes growth in Midwest, Southeast
- Old National (ONB) Q1 2026 Earnings Transcript
- Google Patents assignee search: Old National Bancorp (0 results)
- Google Patents assignee search: Old National Bank (only third-party patents that mention the bank)
- Formations of, Acquisitions by, and Mergers of Bank Holding Companies (WaFd, Inc. and EverBank Financial Corp), 91 FR 64930
- SouthState Bank Corporation Form 8-K: third-quarter 2026 earnings date
- The Most Powerful Women in Banking Women to Watch, #15, Liz Wolverton, Pinnacle Financial Partners
- The Most Powerful Women in Banking NEXT, #14, Tara Edmonds, SouthState Bank
- The Most Powerful Women in Banking Women to Watch, #10, Tammy LoCascio, First Horizon
- The Most Powerful Women in Banking NEXT, #19, Lena McCloskey, First Horizon Corporation
- WaFd, Inc. Schedule 14A (DEFA14A): employee FAQ on the EverBank merger, 28 September 2026
- East West Bank at Barclays conference: growth, fees and capital (transcript)
- Financing the AI innovation roadmap
- Insurance Banking Rundown
- Santander isn't rushing into Webster integration: US CEO
- Webster Financial Corporation Form 8-K: completion of the acquisition by Banco Santander and merger of Webster Bank into Santander Bank, N.A.
- Pinnacle Financial Partners, Inc. Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026
- Old National Bancorp Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026
- Old National Bancorp Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2026
- Old National Bancorp Q2 Earnings Call Highlights
- First BanCorp Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025
- Santander's data & AI-first strategy accelerates through OpenAI collaboration
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