A 187-year-old Mid-Atlantic and Southeast bank posting record earnings with a 'consistent and disciplined' management style, and no public AI programme beyond consumer education.
How is United Bank using AI?
United Bankshares, the Charleston, West Virginia holding company for United Bank, headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, with about $33 billion of assets and 237 full-service offices across eight states and Washington, D.C. (per its 2025 10-K), is one of the largest US banks with no disclosed AI strategy. Its public record is about consistency: record second-quarter 2026 earnings of $131.4 million, or $0.95 per diluted share, with a 1.56% return on average assets, which chief executive Richard M. Adams Jr. attributed to 'our consistent and disciplined approach to managing our Company's affairs', following 'resilient' first-quarter results and a 2025 that he said reflected 'strong organic growth across our markets and strategic expansion'. Earlier Carolinas moves included a regional office in Charlotte's SouthPark, opened in March 2024, and the January 2024 promotion of Marshall Cooper to regional president of the Southern Region. The bank's only AI content is consumer education: a learning-centre piece on how AI-powered budgeting tools with 'real-time expense tracking, personalized insights, and automation' can help households save, and a 2026 guide to spotting fraudulent websites. No AI leader, vendor, use case, budget or roadmap has been named in releases or on its investor site; the executive chairman, Richard M. Adams, was named to the Washington Business Hall of Fame's 2023 laureate class. United Bank is a Virginia state member bank supervised by the Federal Reserve, so any AI it adopts in lending or servicing will be judged under the Fed's model-risk guidance and the CFPB's consumer rules. Its annual reports discuss AI only as risk: the 2024 10-K already named AI and quantum computing among the new technologies raising information-security risk, and the 2025 10-K, filed in February 2026, adds that AI may help criminals get past its fraud controls and that its own 'implementation of certain new technologies, such as those related to artificial intelligence, automation and algorithms' may have unintended consequences. Technology sits with Darren K. Williams, chief risk and information officer since 2020, and the 2026 proxy credits management with continuing to invest in the bank's data platform and 'digitalization and banking technology efforts'. Treat this page as a thin record for a well-performing bank that has chosen not to talk about AI.
Thin public record: No earnings-call transcript or earnings release with an AI remark, a 10-K that mentions AI only inside risk factors, no open AI roles, and no named AI programme, vendor, use case or AI leader.
Lead bank
United Bank
Assets (lead bank, Jun 30, 2026)
$34 billion
Charter
Virginia state member bank (Federal Reserve)
Headquarters
Fairfax, VA (holding company: Charleston, WV)
AI leadership
Richard M. Adams Jr. · Richard M. Adams · Darren K. Williams · Marshall Cooper · Mark R. Nesselroad · Alan Searles
- No AI programme, leader, vendor, budget or roadmap disclosed as of September 2026.
- Only AI content is consumer-facing (a guide to AI-powered budgeting tools and website-fraud guidance) plus AI risk-factor language in its 10-Ks.
- The 2025 10-K names AI as a driver of cyber and fraud risk and warns that its own use of 'artificial intelligence, automation and algorithms' in business processes may have unintended consequences.
- Technology and risk are combined under one executive: Darren K. Williams, chief risk and information officer since 2020; the 2026 proxy cites continued investment in the data platform and digitalization.
- Record Q2 2026 earnings of $131.4 million ($0.95 per share); ROA 1.56%; return on tangible common equity 15.15%.
- Management identity is discipline and consistency, per CEO Richard M. Adams Jr.'s quarterly statements.
- Footprint: about $33 billion of assets, 237 full-service offices (2025 10-K) in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Ohio and Pennsylvania; Charlotte SouthPark regional office opened in March 2024.
- Recognised as a best company to work for and best-in-state bank in 2025.
- Piedmont Bancorp of Peachtree Corners, Georgia, was announced on 10 May 2024 (about $267 million, $2.1 billion of assets, 16 locations), approved by the Federal Reserve on 29 November 2024 and completed on 10 January 2025; it was United's 34th acquisition and its entry into Atlanta. The filings describe the deal as a footprint move and name no technology or AI element.
- AI language in the annual report grew from one passage in the 2024 10-K (information-security risk) to four in the 2025 10-K (cyber-attack techniques, fraud, new-technology implementation, information security). The Q3 2025, Q1 2026 and Q2 2026 10-Qs contain no reference to artificial intelligence, machine learning or generative AI.
- The only technology cost line the earnings releases explain is data processing: $14.1 million in the first half of 2026 against $16.4 million a year earlier, a fall the bank attributes to 'technology contract renegotiations'. No vendor is named.
- Information security is run by an unnamed Chief Information Security Officer who has led the department since 2014 and has 24-plus years at United; the 2025 10-K says the programme follows the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and CIS Benchmarks, is discussed quarterly at a Governance Steering Committee, and reports to the Board Risk Committee, chaired by Mark R. Nesselroad.
- The bank's August 2025 learning-centre guide to AI budgeting apps names Rocket Money, Qapital, Oportun, Cleo, PocketGuard and YNAB and states that 'United Bank does not endorse or partner with any AI apps or tools mentioned in this article'.
- A three-floor, 34,800-square-foot Charleston operations centre, opened on 23 September 2026 for about 170 staff, co-locates IT, Fraud, Compliance, Customer Care and Loan Servicing teams; no AI tooling is mentioned. A Google Patents search for United Bankshares as assignee returns no records.
What AI partnerships and patents does United Bankshares have?
None is public. United Bankshares has named no AI lab, cloud, data vendor or fintech partner, and a Google Patents assignee search for the company returns no records. The bank's August 2025 learning-centre article lists third-party AI budgeting apps and states that it does not endorse or partner with any of them. The only technology supplier information is an unnamed set of contracts renegotiated to cut data processing expense, and a cybersecurity programme built on NIST and CIS standards.[5][29][22][10]
| Item | What it is | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Granted patents and published applications | Google Patents assignee searches for 'United Bankshares', 'UNITED BANKSHARES INC' and 'United Bankshares Inc' return no records | None found | 2026-10-14[29] |
| Unnamed technology vendors | Contracts renegotiated, lowering data processing expense by $2.3 million in the first half of 2026 | Disclosed, vendors not named | 2026-07-23[22][25] |
| NIST Cybersecurity Framework and CIS Benchmarks | Standards behind United's formal cybersecurity programme, with industry threat-intelligence feeds | In production | 2026-02-27[10] |
What has United Bank done on AI, and when?
- Oct 8, 2026
Florida expansion announced[28]
De novo Palm Beach office at 218 Royal Palm Way, pending regulatory approval, led by Market President Terence Callahan with a wealth team under Chief Investment Officer Chris Battifarano. Consolidated assets about $34 billion at 30 June 2026.
- Sep 23, 2026
Charleston operations centre opens[27]
34,800 square feet for about 170 staff; houses Retail Operations, IT, Compliance, Customer Care, Fraud, Deposit and Loan Servicing, Loan Documentation and Records Management. One of two primary back-office hubs.
- Aug 7, 2026
- Jul 23, 2026
Record second-quarter 2026 earnings[9]
$131.4 million, $0.95 per share; ROA 1.56%; ROTCE 15.15%.
- Jun 29, 2026
Guide to fraudulent websites[8]
Domain-checking habits for customers.
- May 13, 2026
Annual meeting: Executive Chairman reviews 2025[23]
Richard M. Adams cites record $465 million earnings, a 1.4% ROAA, the 52nd straight dividend increase and Piedmont; Southeast loans were 43% of the book at year-end 2025. No AI or technology remark.
- Apr 23, 2026
Data processing falls on technology contract renegotiations[22]
First-quarter release attributes the lower data processing expense to 'technology contract renegotiations'; no vendor or contract named.
- Apr 23, 2026
First-quarter 2026 earnings[7]
'Resilient results' amid geopolitical and macro uncertainty.
- Apr 1, 2026
Proxy: continued investment in data platform and digitalization[11]
Listed among 2025 management accomplishments alongside the enterprise risk management programme.
- Mar 17, 2026
187 years of service[6]
CEO cites strong organic growth and strategic expansion.
- Mar 2, 2026
Raymond James investor conference presentation[21]
CEO Richard M. Adams Jr. and CFO W. Mark Tatterson presented on financial performance and corporate objectives; United offers a webcast and slides for this event; its earnings releases announce no earnings call. No AI remark appears in the announcement.
- Feb 27, 2026
2025 10-K widens its AI risk factors[10]
AI, already cited as a cyber risk in the 2024 10-K, now also appears in fraud and new-technology risk factors, including the bank's own use of AI, automation and algorithms.
- Jan 22, 2026
Record 2025 earnings[20]
$464.6 million, $3.27 per diluted share; ROAA 1.41%, ROTCE 13.95%. The release carries no AI or technology-programme language.
- Aug 19, 2025
'How AI can help you save' consumer guide[5]
AI-powered budgeting tools with expense tracking and automation.
- Jul 21, 2025
Best company to work for and best-in-state bank[4]
About $33 billion of assets and 240-plus offices.
- Feb 28, 2025
2024 10-K cites AI as an information-security risk[19]
One passage: new technologies 'such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing' have raised information-security risk. No AI use by the bank is described.
- Jan 10, 2025
Piedmont acquisition completed[18]
Combined bank above $32 billion of assets and 240-plus locations; former Piedmont offices operate under the DBA United Bankshares, with Monty Watson as regional president.
- Dec 9, 2024
Card Controls guide for fraud prevention[17]
Customer guide to real-time alerts and card lock or unlock in the Bank With United app; it does not describe the detection method behind the alerts.
- Nov 29, 2024
Federal Reserve approves the Piedmont merger[14][15][16]
Approval of the holding-company and bank mergers; United announced all regulatory approvals on 2 December 2024 and said the operational conversion was expected in late first quarter 2025. The Fed recorded one adverse comment on United's mortgage lending to Black borrowers.
- May 10, 2024
Piedmont Bancorp acquisition announced[12][13]
Definitive agreement to buy the Peachtree Corners, Georgia parent of The Piedmont Bank: about $267 million in stock at a fixed 0.300 exchange ratio, $2.1 billion of assets, 16 locations. United's 34th acquisition and, per Banking Dive, its first under CEO Richard M. Adams Jr.
- Mar 14, 2024
Charlotte SouthPark regional office opens[1]
Regional corporate office and branch with an interactive teller machine; houses a new credit department.
- Jan 18, 2024
Marshall Cooper promoted to Southern Region president[2]
Oversees six markets across coastal North Carolina and South Carolina.
Where does United Bank use AI today?
| System | What it does | Status | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| No disclosed AI deployment[9] | No AI programme, vendor or leader named in releases or investor materials. | Announced | AI governance (general) |
| AI in the 10-K risk factors[10] | AI as an amplifier of cyber-attacks and fraud, and the risk that the bank's own AI, automation and algorithms have unintended consequences. | Announced | Model risk management |
| Customer fraud-awareness content[8] | Fraudulent-website, phishing-email and domain-checking guidance. | In production | Fraud detection |
| Technology contract renegotiations[22][25] | Data processing expense fell to $14.1 million in the first half of 2026 from $16.4 million a year earlier, which the earnings releases attribute to technology contract renegotiations. Vendors are not named and no AI vendor is disclosed. | In production | Third-party & vendor AI |
| NIST CSF and CIS-based cybersecurity programme[10] | Formal programme with threat-intelligence feeds, annual staff training and quarterly reporting through a Governance Steering Committee to the Board Risk Committee; the 10-K names AI as a source of evolving attack techniques. | In production | Cybersecurity |
| Board and executive oversight of technology risk[10][11] | The Board Risk Committee oversees information security, vendor management and business continuity and appoints the Chief Risk and Information Officer, who reports directly to the CEO. No AI-specific policy or committee is disclosed. | In production | AI governance (general) |
| Card Controls alerts and lock in the mobile app[17] | Customers get real-time alerts on unfamiliar or suspicious card use and can freeze or unfreeze a card. The bank does not say whether the alerts rely on machine learning. | In production | Fraud detection |
| Mortgage-lending record on file with the Federal Reserve[15][14] | In approving the Piedmont merger the Fed recorded an adverse comment on United Bank's home loans to Black borrowers in West Virginia and Virginia and a satisfactory CRA rating from October 2022. No automated underwriting or AI is disclosed; any later adoption starts from this record. | Announced | Fair lending & discrimination |
Use-case links open the tracker's rules-by-use-case matrix: which documents govern each system type.
What has United Bank disclosed in numbers?
| Metric | Value | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Second-quarter 2026 earnings / EPS | $131.4 million (record) / $0.95[9] | Jul 23, 2026 |
| Return on average assets / tangible common equity, Q2 2026 | 1.56% / 15.15%[9] | Jul 23, 2026 |
| Total assets | ≈ $33 billion[4] | Jul 21, 2025 |
| Full-service offices (2025 10-K) | 237: 100 Virginia/Maryland/DC area, 48 West Virginia, 43 North Carolina, 25 South Carolina, 16 Georgia, 4 Pennsylvania, 1 Ohio[10] | Feb 27, 2026 |
| Data processing expense, first half 2026 vs first half 2025 | $14.1 million vs $16.4 million[25] | Jul 23, 2026 |
| AI passages in the 10-K, 2024 report vs 2025 report | 1 vs 4[19][10] | Feb 27, 2026 |
| Mentions of artificial intelligence, machine learning or generative AI in the Q1 and Q2 2026 10-Qs | 0[24][26] | Aug 7, 2026 |
| Piedmont Bancorp deal value / assets / locations | ≈ $267 million / $2.1 billion / 16[12] | May 10, 2024 |
| Employees (community banking / general support) | 2,694 (2,612 / 82)[10] | Dec 31, 2025 |
| Full-year 2025 net income / diluted EPS / ROAA | $464.6 million / $3.27 / 1.41%[20] | Jan 22, 2026 |
| Charleston operations centre size / capacity | 34,800 sq ft / about 170 staff[27] | Sep 23, 2026 |
“We delivered record results in the second quarter, and our consistent and disciplined approach to managing our Company's affairs continues to pay dividends.”[9]
Richard M. Adams Jr. · Chief Executive Officer · Jul 23, 2026
“In addition, our implementation of certain new technologies, such as those related to artificial intelligence, automation and algorithms, in our business processes may have unintended consequences due to their limitations or our failure to use them effectively.”[10]
United Bankshares · 2025 Form 10-K risk factors · Feb 27, 2026
“United Bank does not endorse or partner with any AI apps or tools mentioned in this article.”[5]
United Bank · Learning-centre article 'How AI Can Help You Save' · Aug 19, 2025
“Our financial performance in 2025 was among the very best in our Company's long history.”[20]
Richard M. Adams Jr. · Chief Executive Officer · Jan 22, 2026
“Against the backdrop of geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainties, UBSI continues to deliver resilient results.”[22]
Richard M. Adams Jr. · Chief Executive Officer · Apr 23, 2026
“By bringing several teams together under one roof, we are better able to align the operational functions that frequently support the same projects and issues.”[27]
Alan Searles · Managing Director of Operations, United Bank · Sep 23, 2026
“Our focus for future geographic expansion continues to be on the Southeast, where we've seen strong opportunities and positive demographic trends.”[28]
Richard M. Adams Jr. · Chief Executive Officer · Oct 8, 2026
Who runs AI at United Bank?
Richard M. Adams
Executive Chairman[3]
Darren K. WilliamsLinkedIn ↗
EVP, Chief Risk and Information Officer (since 2020)[11]
Marshall CooperLinkedIn ↗
Regional President, Southern Region[2]
Mark R. Nesselroad
Director; Chairman of the Board Risk Committee, which oversees information security, vendor management and the appointment of the Chief Risk and Information Officer[11][10]
Alan Searles
Managing Director of Operations; quoted on the Charleston operations centre that houses IT, Fraud and Compliance teams[27]
What AI roles is United Bank hiring for?
Data as of · 0 AI-titled postings · read from United Bank's own careers site, re-checked weekly
No open AI-titled postings on United Bank's careers site as of Oct 25, 2026. A snapshot of current openings, not a source: postings close. Compare with other banks on which banks are hiring for AI.
Which regulators govern United Bank's AI?
| Authority | Why it matters here | Documents |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Reserve | United Bank is a state member bank; Fed model-risk and third-party guidance would govern any AI adopted in lending, fraud or servicing. | SR 11-7 SR 23-4 |
| CFPB | Consumer deposit, card and mortgage products bring UDAAP and adverse-action duties to any automated decisioning. | ECOA / Regulation B adverse action (15 U.S.C. 1691(d); 12 CFR 1002.9) |
| FDIC | Deposit-insurance supervision and interagency third-party guidance apply to vendor technology. | FDIC FIL-29-2023 |
Side by side: SR 11-7 vs SR 26-2 · PRA SS1/23 vs SR 26-2 · MAS AI Risk Management Guidelines vs SR 26-2 · OCC vs CFPB on AI lending · all comparisons.
What does the public record suggest about United Bank's AI strategy?
Analysis by BankingNewsAI from the sources cited on this page. Observations, not advice.
01
Silence is a choice, and it is working financially
Record earnings without an AI narrative show the market does not yet price AI disclosure at this size; that changes when peers' efficiency ratios move.
02
The consumer guide points at the gap
Telling customers to use AI budgeting apps from third parties, while offering none, is an invitation to fintech disintermediation in the bank's own app.
03
Discipline is the right base for a late start
A bank that manages credit this consistently can adopt vendor AI in fraud and servicing with less governance debt than early movers carry.
04
Watch the 10-K risk factors
The first substantive AI statement from a bank like this usually appears as a risk factor before it appears as a product; the 2025 10-K is that step, acknowledging AI in the bank's own business processes.
Where does the United Bank record go deeper?
How does United Bank compare with its peers?
- How does United Bankshares compare with its peers on AI and technology?
- United Bankshares competitors and alternatives, by business line
Its peer group on this site, by business model and size:
Does United Bank use AI?
United Bankshares has not disclosed any AI programme, AI leader, vendor, budget or use case. Its only AI-related publications are consumer education on AI-powered budgeting tools and risk-factor language in its 2025 10-K, which says its own use of AI, automation and algorithms may have unintended consequences. It is a Virginia state member bank supervised by the Federal Reserve.
How is United Bankshares performing?
It reported record second-quarter 2026 earnings of $131.4 million, or $0.95 per diluted share, with a 1.56% return on average assets and a 15.15% return on average tangible common equity, following what the CEO called resilient first-quarter results.
Who leads AI at United Bankshares?
No one is named as the head of AI. United has not disclosed a chief AI officer, chief data officer or AI programme. Technology and risk sit with Darren K. Williams, Chief Risk and Information Officer since 2020, who reports to CEO Richard M. Adams Jr. Board oversight of information security and vendor management belongs to the Risk Committee chaired by Mark R. Nesselroad. The chief information security officer, unnamed in the 2025 10-K, has led the department since 2014.
Does United Bankshares mention AI in its filings and earnings releases?
Only as risk. The 2024 10-K had one AI passage on information-security risk; the 2025 10-K, filed on 27 February 2026, has four, adding AI-enabled fraud and the risk that the bank's own use of AI, automation and algorithms has unintended consequences. The Q3 2025, Q1 2026 and Q2 2026 10-Qs and the full-year 2025, Q1 2026 and Q2 2026 earnings releases contain no AI language. Those releases announce no earnings call, so there is no call transcript to quote.
Did the Piedmont acquisition change United Bank's technology?
The filings do not say. Piedmont Bancorp of Peachtree Corners, Georgia ($2.1 billion of assets, 16 locations, about $267 million) was announced on 10 May 2024 and completed on 10 January 2025 as United's 34th acquisition. The only technology figure disclosed since is a $2.3 million fall in first-half 2026 data processing expense, which the bank ties to technology contract renegotiations rather than to Piedmont or AI.
- United Bank Opens New Location in Charlotte's Bustling SouthPark Neighborhood
- United Bank Promotes Marshall Cooper to Regional President of Southern Region
- United Bank Executive Chairman Richard M. Adams to be inducted into Washington Business Hall of Fame
- United Bank Receives National Recognition as a Best Company to Work for and Best-in-State Bank for 2025
- How AI Can Help You Save
- United Bank Celebrates 187 Years of Service
- United Bankshares, Inc. Announces Earnings for the First Quarter of 2026
- How to Protect Yourself from Fraudulent Websites
- United Bankshares, Inc. Announces Record Earnings for the Second Quarter of 2026
- United Bankshares, Inc. Form 10-K for 2025
- United Bankshares 2026 proxy statement (DEF 14A)
- United Bankshares, Inc. to Acquire Piedmont Bancorp, Inc.
- United Bank to buy Piedmont Bancorp for $267M
- Federal Reserve Board announces approval of application by United Bankshares, Inc.
- Fed approves United-Piedmont merger
- United Bankshares, Inc. Receives Final Regulatory Approval for Piedmont Bancorp Acquisition
- Prevent Fraud and Monitor Spending on the Go with Card Controls
- United Bankshares, Inc. Completes Acquisition of Piedmont Bancorp, Inc.
- United Bankshares, Inc. Form 10-K for 2024
- United Bankshares, Inc. Announces Record Earnings for the Year of 2025
- United Bankshares, Inc. to Present at the Raymond James 47th Annual Institutional Investors Conference
- United Bankshares, Inc. Announces Earnings for the First Quarter of 2026 (full release)
- United Bankshares, Inc. Holds Annual Meeting of Shareholders
- United Bankshares, Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended 31 March 2026
- United Bankshares, Inc. Announces Record Earnings for the Second Quarter of 2026 (full release)
- United Bankshares, Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended 30 June 2026
- United Bank Opens New Operations Center In Charleston
- United Bankshares, Inc. Announces Florida Expansion
- Google Patents assignee search: United Bankshares (no records)
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