United Community Banks:
the AI strategy, sourced.

Last updated Oct 25, 2026 · 28 dated moves · 33 sources · open AI roles as of Oct 25, 2026

The Southeast's most-awarded bank for customer satisfaction has a CEO who says AI 'will have a positive impact on our business', credits it with saving customers millions in fraud losses, and is embedding it in contact-centre and branch-support systems after selling its equipment-finance arm for about $2.0 billion.

How is United Community using AI?

United Community Banks, the Greenville, South Carolina parent of United Community Bank with about $28 billion of assets, is one of the clearest AI voices in the rank-51-to-100 group because its chairman and CEO, Lynn Harton, put it in his 2025 shareholder letter: 'I believe artificial intelligence (AI) will have a positive impact on our business.' He wrote that the bank is 'already seeing benefits of AI in fraud prevention, with tools that have helped our customers avoid potentially millions of dollars in losses', that 'customer service tools powered by AI are making our contact center agents more efficient', and that the bank is 'working on embedding AI in our internal customer service systems as well, our branch support desk for example'. His main hope is capacity: every year 'dozens of great product or process improvement projects' are postponed for lack of resources, and AI-enabled productivity would let teams take more of them on. On the April 2026 earnings call he put a number on it: AI investments have had 'a strong payback', mostly through vendors; fraud losses have dropped by 50% over two years, partly because fraud vendors are heavy AI users; chatbots and other AI tools let the contact centre take more calls with the same number of agents; programmers do more work without new hires; and agentic AI for mundane processes such as flood checks is 'at just the conversational stage'. The 2025 10-K adds that AI 'present[s] new and significant cybersecurity safety risks that must be analyzed and addressed before implementation', including deep-fake fraud. Technology is run by chief information officer Mark Terry; fraud data and technology is led by vice president Micah Weaver, who spoke in August 2026 on putting AI agents to work in risk and compliance workflows. The strategy around it is simplification and in-market growth: in April 2026 United agreed to buy Peach State Bancshares of Gainesville, Georgia, for $100.8 million, closing on 1 August. In June 2026 United agreed to sell its equipment-finance business, Navitas Credit Corp., to funds managed by Wafra for about $1.9 billion in cash, a 7% premium to the loan portfolio's par value, with a one-time pre-tax benefit of $109 million; the sale completed on 1 September 2026 at about $2.0 billion; Harton said the bank had been restraining Navitas' growth to stay within self-imposed limits. Second-quarter 2026 GAAP earnings per share were $0.95, or $0.71 operating, up 8%, with 6.8% annualised loan growth and a sixth straight quarter of margin expansion. The service record is the brand: in March 2026 J.D. Power ranked United number one for retail banking customer satisfaction in the Southeast for the 12th time in 17 years. United Community Bank is a South Carolina state member bank supervised by the Federal Reserve; no AI vendor, model inventory or budget has been named.

Lead bank

United Community Bank

Assets (lead bank, Jun 30, 2026)

$29 billion

Charter

South Carolina state member bank (Federal Reserve)

Headquarters

Greenville, SC

AI leadership

Lynn Harton · Mark Terry · Micah Weaver · Rob Edwards · Gene Gibson · Abraham Cox

  • CEO Lynn Harton's 2025 shareholder letter: AI 'will have a positive impact on our business'; fraud tools have saved customers 'potentially millions of dollars'.
  • AI in production: fraud prevention and AI-powered contact-centre agent tools; AI being embedded in internal support systems such as the branch support desk.
  • Stated goal is capacity: AI productivity to clear the backlog of postponed product and process projects.
  • Navitas equipment-finance sale to Wafra agreed in June at about $1.9 billion cash (7% premium to par, $109 million pre-tax benefit expected); completed 1 September 2026 at about $2.0 billion.
  • Q2 2026: GAAP EPS $0.95, operating EPS $0.71 (+8%); 6.8% annualised loan growth; sixth consecutive quarter of margin expansion.
  • J.D. Power number one for retail banking satisfaction in the Southeast for the 12th time in 17 years (March 2026).
  • Q1 2026 call: AI investments show 'a strong payback', mostly vendor-delivered; fraud losses down 50% over two years partly thanks to vendors' AI; contact-centre chatbots and AI tools handle more calls with the same agents; more programming without more programmers; agentic AI only at the conversational stage.
  • 2025 10-K: AI and machine learning named as technology, competition, fraud (deep fakes) and cybersecurity risks; AI must be analysed for cyber risk before implementation.
  • Bench: CIO Mark Terry (technology, data management, applications); VP of fraud data and technology Micah Weaver speaks on AI agents in risk operations.
  • Peach State Bancshares ($788 million assets) bought for $100.8 million; merger completed 1 August 2026, systems conversion expected Q1 2027.
  • SEC language on AI has grown each year: three mentions of 'artificial intelligence' or 'machine learning' in the FY2023 10-K (February 2024), nine in the FY2024 10-K and twelve in the FY2025 10-K, which adds deep-fake impersonation; the Q3 2025 10-Q has none, and the Q1 and Q2 2026 10-Qs mention AI only in the forward-looking-statements list.
  • Only one of the last four earnings calls discusses AI: the Q4 2025 (January 2026) and Q2 2026 (July 2026) transcripts do not mention it, and in April a Raymond James analyst's question on AI spending drew Harton's 'strong payback' answer but no AI budget; the CFO's guide was expense growth of about 3.5% plus $1.0 million to $1.2 million a quarter of new-hire cost.
  • The CIO owns the AI pipeline: ABA Banking Journal (September 2026) says the CIO is leading efforts to find internal projects and third-party AI tools to reduce fraud risk and administrative work and improve customer experience, while chief consumer and small business banking officer Abraham Cox says AI in wealth-customer interactions or decisions is not expected 'anytime soon' and staff use Microsoft Copilot internally.
  • Governance sits in technology and risk: the CISO reports to the CIO and briefs the board Risk Committee quarterly; the 10-K requires new AI uses to be analysed for cyber risk before implementation; and the board includes George Bell, a former Truist senior technology manager, and Lance Drummond, a former TD Canada Trust executive vice president of operations and technology.
  • The Navitas equipment-finance sale to Wafra funds completed on 1 September 2026 for about $2.0 billion in cash, and a securities repositioning on 8 September (about $2.6 billion sold at a 2.20% yield) leaves an expected net pre-tax loss of about $300 million and a third-quarter net loss.
  • Two bank conversions in twelve months: American National Bank (about $80 million, completed 1 May 2025, converted 11 July 2025) and Peach State (completed 1 August 2026, conversion expected in the first quarter of 2027); on the Q4 2025 call (15 January 2026) Harton said the momentum came from 'the number of technology projects we're able to do without having to worry about integrations and conversions', and 2025 communications and equipment expense rose 12% to $55.2 million on new software contracts.

What AI partnerships and patents does United Community Banks have?

United Community's public AI record names two vendors: Microsoft, whose Copilot staff use internally, and Newgen, whose SBA lending platform the bank adopted in 2025 and which Newgen says includes AI-powered underwriting. Harton says most of the bank's AI comes through vendors and that its fraud vendors are heavy AI users, but names none. Micah Weaver spoke in an Alloy session on AI agents in risk operations; no Alloy contract is disclosed. No patents or published applications assigned to United Community Banks turned up in a Google Patents assignee search on 14 October 2026. No AI lab, cloud, GPU or data-platform partner is public.[8][24][10][14][33]

ItemWhat it isStatusDate
Microsoft CopilotUsed across the bank, including wealth management, for presentations, notes and customer insightsIn production2026-09-14[8]
Newgen SBA loan solution (NewgenONE)SBA loan origination and servicing platform; AI-powered underwriting is Newgen's descriptionIn production2025-05-14[24]
Fraud vendors (unnamed)Harton: all the bank's fraud vendors are heavy AI users and most of its AI arrives through vendorsIn production2026-04-21[10]
US patents and applicationsNone found under the assignee name United Community BanksNone found2026-10-14[33]

What has United Community done on AI, and when?

United Community's dated AI moves by year2024Feb 23FY2023 10-K: AI named as a fraud risk and a…Dec 03American National Bank acquisition agreed2025Feb 27FY2024 10-K: AI becomes a technology-change…Mar 2711th J.D. Power awardMay 01American National Bank merger completedMay 14SBA lending moves to Newgen platformJul 14American National Bank conversion completeNov 13Climbs 32 spots on Best Banks to Work For2026Jan 15Q4 2025 call: 'We can fund whatever technol…Feb 172025 10-K: AI as technology, fraud and cybe…Mar 2612th J.D. Power award in 17 yearsMar 312025 annual report: CEO on AI's positive im…Apr 01Proxy letter: AI for productivity, fraud an…Apr 21First-quarter 2026 earningsApr 21Q1 call: AI's 'strong payback'Apr 21Peach State Bancshares acquisition agreedMay 15Executive team named in a merger employee u…Jun 12Navitas equipment-finance sale agreedJun 12Navitas sale agreement carries AI represent…Jul 21Second-quarter 2026 earningsJul 21Q2 call: no AI discussionAug 03Peach State merger completedAug 05Q2 10-Q: AI only in the forward-looking sta…Aug 15Fraud technology lead on AI agents in risk…Sep 01Navitas sale completedSep 08Balance-sheet repositioning completedSep 14Named as a Microsoft Copilot adopterSep 18Customer guidance on AI-enabled scams
Figure 1 · United Community's AI moves by year, from the timeline below. Filled boxes are the current year. Every entry cites its source in the list at the end of the page.
  • Sep 18, 2026

    Customer guidance on AI-enabled scams[32]

    A business-banking guide says AI-empowered tools are making social-engineering scams more convincing and that United continues to invest heavily in fraud prevention and detection tools.

  • Sep 14, 2026

    Named as a Microsoft Copilot adopter[8]

    ABA Banking Journal reports that United's bankers, including in wealth management, use Microsoft Copilot internally for presentations and notes; chief consumer and small business banking officer Abraham Cox said the bank does not anticipate deploying AI in wealth-customer interactions or decision-making anytime soon.

  • Sep 8, 2026

    Balance-sheet repositioning completed[30]

    United reclassified $2.2 billion of held-to-maturity securities, sold about $2.6 billion at a 2.20% weighted yield and expects a pre-tax loss of about $300 million, net of a $64 million pre-tax gain on Navitas.

  • Sep 1, 2026

    Navitas sale completed[29]

    About $2.0 billion in cash from Wafra funds, a 7% premium to the loan portfolio's par value; Harton says the sale sharpens focus on core Southeastern markets and reduces the risk profile.

  • Aug 15, 2026

    Fraud technology lead on AI agents in risk operations[14]

    VP of fraud data and technology Micah Weaver joins an Alloy session on putting AI agents to work in risk and compliance workflows with humans in the loop.

  • Aug 5, 2026

    Q2 10-Q: AI only in the forward-looking statements[19][18]

    The second-quarter 10-Q, like the first-quarter filing of 6 May, mentions AI and machine learning once, as a driver of 'substantial expenditures to keep pace with regulatory initiatives and the rapid technological changes'.

  • Aug 3, 2026

    Peach State merger completed[13]

    Effective 1 August 2026; core systems conversion to United Community's expected in the first quarter of 2027.

  • Jul 21, 2026

    Q2 call: no AI discussion[26]

    The Motley Fool transcript of the call has no reference to AI; management reports 37 net new revenue producers since 30 September 2025, a sales force about 17% larger.

  • Jul 21, 2026

    Second-quarter 2026 earnings[7]

    GAAP EPS $0.95; operating EPS $0.71; margin up for sixth straight quarter.

  • Jun 12, 2026

    Navitas sale agreement carries AI representations[28]

    The purchase agreement filed with the 8-K has the equipment-finance company state that it complies with data-privacy, AI and security requirements and has policies for the ethical and safe deployment of AI technologies; the reinsurance company states it does not develop, train or use AI technologies.

  • Jun 12, 2026

    Navitas equipment-finance sale agreed[6]

    About $1.9 billion cash to Wafra funds; closing expected Q3 2026.

  • May 15, 2026

    Executive team named in a merger employee update[27]

    A Rule 425 weekly update for Peach State staff lists CIO Mark Terry, chief risk officer Rob Edwards and, not pictured, head of operations Gene Gibson among the executive leadership.

  • Apr 21, 2026

    Peach State Bancshares acquisition agreed[11]

    $100.8 million in cash and stock for a $788 million-asset Gainesville, Georgia bank; number-one share in Hall County.

  • Apr 21, 2026

    Q1 call: AI's 'strong payback'[10]

    Fraud losses down 50% over two years partly thanks to vendors' AI; contact-centre chatbots take more calls with the same agents; AI-assisted programming; agentic AI for processes such as flood checks at the conversational stage.

  • Apr 21, 2026

    First-quarter 2026 earnings[5]

    Net income $84.3 million; revenue growth and solid loan growth.

  • Apr 1, 2026

    Proxy letter: AI for productivity, fraud and product innovation[20]

    The DEF 14A letter says AI offers meaningful opportunities to improve productivity, strengthen fraud prevention and accelerate product and process innovation, and lists 'implementing new deposit and lending platforms' among 2025 investments; the board includes a former Truist senior technology manager and a former TD Canada Trust operations and technology executive.

  • Mar 31, 2026

    2025 annual report: CEO on AI's positive impact[4]

    Fraud savings, contact-centre tools, branch support desk, capacity.

  • Mar 26, 2026

    12th J.D. Power award in 17 years[3]

    Most-awarded bank for customer satisfaction in the Southeast.

  • Feb 17, 2026

    2025 10-K: AI as technology, fraud and cyber risk[9]

    AI 'present[s] new and significant cybersecurity safety risks that must be analyzed and addressed before implementation'; AI and quantum computing could exacerbate fraud, including deep-fake impersonation.

  • Jan 15, 2026

    Q4 2025 call: 'We can fund whatever technology we need'[25]

    Asked about M&A, Harton says scale does not buy technology and that at United's size technology is probably easier to implement than at a larger bank; AI is not discussed on the call, and the 2025 efficiency ratio improved 264 basis points.

  • Nov 13, 2025

    Climbs 32 spots on Best Banks to Work For[2]

    Ninth consecutive year of recognition; No. 50.

  • Jul 14, 2025

    American National Bank conversion complete[23]

    All ANB accounts and services moved to United's systems and brand; the Oakland Park branch now operates as United Community.

  • May 14, 2025

    SBA lending moves to Newgen platform[24]

    Fintech Futures reports that the $27.7 billion-asset bank chose Newgen's SBA loan solution on the NewgenONE platform, which Newgen says includes AI-powered underwriting capabilities and customisable credit policies.

  • May 1, 2025

    American National Bank merger completed[22]

    ANB's single Oakland Park branch merged into United Community Bank; core systems, signage and branding were to convert on the weekend of 11 July 2025.

  • Mar 27, 2025

    11th J.D. Power award[1]

    Number one in the Southeast for satisfaction, trust and people.

  • Feb 27, 2025

    FY2024 10-K: AI becomes a technology-change and cyber risk[17]

    Nine mentions of artificial intelligence or machine learning; new technologies such as AI 'present new and significant cybersecurity safety risks that must be analyzed and addressed before implementation'.

  • Dec 3, 2024

    American National Bank acquisition agreed[21]

    All-stock deal valued at about $80 million for an Oakland Park, Florida bank with $439 million of assets; completion expected in the second quarter of 2025.

  • Feb 23, 2024

    FY2023 10-K: AI named as a fraud risk and a wealth-management competitor[16]

    Three mentions of artificial intelligence: AI and quantum computing could exacerbate fraud, and AI-based applications are beginning to compete in personal advice, including wealth management.

Where does United Community use AI today?

United Community's AI systems on the status ladder from announced to in productionANNOUNCEDPILOTROLLING OUTIN PRODUCTIONAI fraud-prevention toolsVendor-delivered AIAI-assisted programmingAI risk-factor disclosureAgentic AI for mundane processesAI-powered contact-centre agent toolsAI in internal support systemsCapacity-building through AI productivityAI cyber-risk review before implementationSBA lending platform with vendor-described…AI agents in risk and compliance operationsCIO-led search for internal AI projectsAI terms in the Navitas sale agreement
Figure 2 · Where AI runs at United Community, and how far along. 8 of 13 named systems are in production; the rest are rolling out, piloted or announced. Status is as described in the cited source at its date.
SystemWhat it doesStatusUse case
AI fraud-prevention tools[4]Credited with helping customers avoid potentially millions of dollars in losses.In productionFraud detection
Vendor-delivered AI[10]Most of the bank's AI comes through vendors; its fraud vendors are heavy AI users, and fraud losses fell 50% over two years partly as a result.In productionThird-party & vendor AI
AI-assisted programming[10]More programming work done without adding programmers.In productionAI-generated code & coding agents
AI risk-factor disclosure[9]The 10-K names AI and machine learning in the technology-change and competition risk factors, says AI and quantum computing could exacerbate fraud, and requires AI's cybersecurity risks to be analysed before implementation.In productionModel risk management
Agentic AI for mundane processes[10]Processes such as flood checks identified as candidates; discussions only.AnnouncedGenerative & agentic AI
AI-powered contact-centre agent tools[4][10]Efficiency tools for agents while maintaining service quality; chatbots and other AI-enabled tools let the contact centre take more calls with the same number of agents.In productionCustomer-facing chatbots
AI in internal support systems[4][8]Branch support desk and other internal customer-service systems; internal staff use Microsoft Copilot for presentations and notes.Rolling outGenerative & agentic AI
Capacity-building through AI productivity[4]Clearing postponed product and process improvement projects.AnnouncedAI governance (general)
AI cyber-risk review before implementation[9]The 10-K says new AI uses present cybersecurity risks that must be analysed and addressed before implementation; the CISO reports to the CIO and briefs the board Risk Committee every quarter.In productionCybersecurity
SBA lending platform with vendor-described AI underwriting[24]Newgen's SBA loan solution handles origination, renewals and modifications; Newgen describes AI-powered underwriting capabilities, and United has not said which AI features it uses.In productionCredit scoring & underwriting
AI agents in risk and compliance operations[14]VP of fraud data and technology Micah Weaver joined an Alloy session on AI agents for AML investigation and KYC review with humans in the loop; no deployment at United is disclosed.AnnouncedAML / KYC
CIO-led search for internal AI projects[8]Candidates named are fraud-risk reduction, administrative work, customer experience, HR policy access and, in wealth, internal lookup of mortgage guidelines; Cox says AI in wealth-customer interactions is not planned soon.AnnouncedGenerative & agentic AI
AI terms in the Navitas sale agreement[28]The equipment-finance company represents that it has policies for the ethical and safe deployment of AI technologies; the reinsurance company represents that it does not use AI technologies.In productionAI governance (general)

Use-case links open the tracker's rules-by-use-case matrix: which documents govern each system type.

Which AI vendors and fintechs does United Community work with?

CompanyWhat United Community uses it forStatusCategory
Microsoft 365 CopilotBankers, including in wealth management, use Microsoft Copilot for presentations, notes and communications.In productionEnterprise AI assistants

Each vendor and fintech page cites the source for the relationship, and vendor pages list products, pricing and other bank customers. Compare AI tools for banks by category, or read the fintech and neobank AI dossiers.

What has United Community disclosed in numbers?

MetricValueAs of
Navitas sale price≈ $1.9 billion cash (7% premium to par)[6][12]Jun 12, 2026
Q2 2026 EPS, GAAP / operating$0.95 / $0.71[7]Jul 21, 2026
2025 net income, GAAP / operating$328.1 million / $336.1 million[4]Mar 31, 2026
J.D. Power Southeast satisfaction awards12 in 17 years[3]Mar 26, 2026
Fraud losses, change over two years (partly attributed to vendors' AI)−50%[10]Apr 21, 2026
Peach State Bancshares acquisition$100.8 million (cash and stock); seller assets $788 million[11]Apr 21, 2026
Navitas revenue, 2025$166 million[12]Jun 12, 2026
Operating earnings per share, 2025 / revenue$2.71 (+18%) / more than $1 billion for the first time[20]Apr 1, 2026
Full-time equivalent employees3,070 at 31 December 2025 (2,979 a year earlier)[9]Dec 31, 2025
Communications and equipment expense, 2025$55.2 million, up 12% on $49.2 million (new software contracts, volume-based increases)[9]Dec 31, 2025
Mentions of 'artificial intelligence' or 'machine learning' in the 10-K (count of the filed text)3 (FY2023), 9 (FY2024), 12 (FY2025)[16][17][9]Feb 17, 2026
Net new revenue producers since 30 September 202537 (sales force about 17% larger)[26]Jul 21, 2026
Navitas sale proceeds, completed≈ $2.0 billion cash; $64 million pre-tax gain[29][30]Sep 8, 2026
Securities repositioning≈ $2.6 billion sold at 2.20%; ≈ $300 million expected pre-tax loss, net[30]Sep 8, 2026
Expense growth guide, April 2026≈ 3.5%, plus $1.0 million to $1.2 million a quarter from new hires[10]Apr 21, 2026

“I believe artificial intelligence (AI) will have a positive impact on our business. We are already seeing benefits of AI in fraud prevention, with tools that have helped our customers avoid potentially millions of dollars in losses.”[4]

Lynn Harton · Chairman, CEO and President · Mar 31, 2026

“I am most hopeful about AI's potential to make our teams more efficient and effective.”[4]

Lynn Harton · Chairman, CEO and President · Mar 31, 2026

“So far, I would say our AI investments have been very good and have a strong payback. For example, most of our AI at this time is coming in through vendors.”[10]

Lynn Harton · Chairman, CEO and President · Apr 21, 2026

“Our contact center, where we have chatbots and other AI-enabled tools, we're seeing the ability to take more calls with the same number of agents.”[10]

Lynn Harton · Chairman, CEO and President · Apr 21, 2026

“It's really hard with all the momentum we've got now, the number of technology projects we're able to do without having to worry about integrations and conversions.”[25]

Lynn Harton · Chairman and CEO · Jan 15, 2026

“The only thing that scale really gets you, it's not technology. We can fund whatever technology we need. In fact, at our size, it's probably easier to implement than it is if you're larger.”[25]

Lynn Harton · Chairman and CEO · Jan 15, 2026

“As we think about the next steps in agentic AI, I think there are clearly possibilities for some of our kind of more mundane processes, for example, flood and other things where we could get some benefit from AI. That's at just the conversational stage now.”[10]

Lynn Harton · Chairman and CEO · Apr 21, 2026

“Every year, we have dozens of great product or process improvement projects that we must postpone due to resource constraints.”[4]

Lynn Harton · Chairman, CEO and President · Mar 31, 2026

“In a controlled, internal fashion, can we use AI to digest all this information?”[8]

Abraham Cox · Chief Consumer and Small Business Banking Officer · Sep 14, 2026

Who runs AI at United Community?

Lynn HartonLinkedIn ↗

Chairman, CEO and President[4][6][7][10]

Mark TerryLinkedIn ↗

Chief Information Officer (technology, data management and applications; leads the search for AI projects and tools; the CISO reports to him)[15][8][9]

Micah WeaverLinkedIn ↗

Vice President, Fraud Data and Technology[14]

Rob Edwards

Chief Risk Officer (executive team; joins earnings calls)[26][27]

Gene Gibson

Head of Operations[27]

Abraham Cox

Chief Consumer and Small Business Banking Officer (retail, wealth and product management; spokesman on cautious internal AI use)[31][8]

What AI roles is United Community hiring for?

Data as of · 1 AI-titled posting · read from United Community's own careers site, re-checked weekly

1 open AI-related posting on United Community'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 Community's AI?

The regulators around United Community's AIUnited CommunityFederal Reserve2 documentsCFPB2 documentsFDIC1 document
Figure 3 · The regulatory perimeter. Each authority links to its tracker page; the number is how many of its documents this page cites. Solid lines are the bank's direct supervisors; dashed lines are consumer, market and global standard-setters that reach it through its activities.
AuthorityWhy it matters hereDocuments
Federal ReserveUnited Community Bank is a state member bank; Fed model-risk and third-party guidance govern the fraud and contact-centre AI tools.SR 11-7
SR 23-4
CFPBAI in customer service and fraud decisions carries UDAAP and chatbot-guidance exposure.CFPB Chatbots in Consumer Finance (issue spotlight, 2023)
ECOA / Regulation B adverse action (15 U.S.C. 1691(d); 12 CFR 1002.9)
FDICDeposit-insurance supervision and interagency third-party guidance apply to vendor AI.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 Community's AI strategy?

Analysis by BankingNewsAI from the sources cited on this page. Observations, not advice.

01

The CEO letter is the disclosure template

A paragraph naming fraud, contact centre and internal support with a capacity rationale is more than most $30 billion banks give; the next step is a named leader and metrics.

02

Selling Navitas frees balance sheet and attention

Exiting a growth-constrained specialty business concentrates the franchise on relationship banking, where the AI use cases named already sit.

03

Satisfaction leadership is the thing to protect

Twelve J.D. Power awards mean any AI in service must be measured against the metric that defines the brand.

04

Fraud savings claims invite quantification

'Potentially millions' is a headline; examiners and investors will want the model, the vendor and the false-positive rate.

Where does the United Community record go deeper?

Which leader rankings does United Community appear in?

1 of the computed leaders rankings include United Community, each ranked from the same sourced bank pages.

How does United Community compare with its peers?

Its peer group on this site, by business model and size:

Does United Community Bank use AI?

Yes. CEO Lynn Harton's 2025 shareholder letter says AI fraud-prevention tools have helped customers avoid potentially millions of dollars in losses, AI-powered tools make contact-centre agents more efficient, and the bank is embedding AI in internal support systems such as its branch support desk. On the April 2026 earnings call he added that most of the bank's AI comes through vendors, that fraud losses fell 50% over two years partly because of it, and that AI also helps its programmers; agentic AI is only being discussed. No vendor or budget has been named.

Who runs technology and AI at United Community?

There is no chief AI officer. CEO Lynn Harton speaks for the bank's AI use; Mark Terry, chief information officer, leads technology infrastructure, data management, application support and project management; Micah Weaver, vice president of fraud data and technology, represents the bank on AI in fraud and risk operations.

What is United Community doing with Navitas?

In June 2026 it agreed to sell its equipment-finance business, Navitas Credit Corp. and NLFC Reinsurance, to funds managed by Wafra for about $1.9 billion in cash, a 7% premium to par, completed on 1 September 2026 for about $2.0 billion in cash. Management said the sale refocuses United on Southeastern relationship banking.

Who leads AI at United Community Banks?

United Community has no chief AI officer or named head of AI. Chairman and CEO Lynn Harton speaks for AI use, setting out the fraud, contact-centre and programming uses in the 2025 annual report letter and on the April 2026 call. Chief information officer Mark Terry, who leads technology, data management and applications, is leading the search for internal AI projects and third-party tools, according to ABA Banking Journal. Micah Weaver, vice president of fraud data and technology, represents the bank on AI agents in risk operations. Chief risk officer Rob Edwards and head of operations Gene Gibson sit on the executive team. No chief data officer is named in the sources reviewed.

What do United Community's SEC filings say about AI?

AI is treated as a risk and a competitor, not as a programme. The 10-K mentions artificial intelligence or machine learning three times for 2023, nine for 2024 and twelve for 2025. The latest says AI could exacerbate fraud, that AI-enabled 'deep fake' impersonation raises cyber risk, and that new AI uses must be analysed and addressed before implementation. The Q1 and Q2 2026 10-Qs mention AI only in the forward-looking-statements list. The Navitas sale agreement adds representations on the safe and ethical use of AI technologies at the equipment-finance unit.

Does United Community hold AI patents or name AI partners?

No patents or published applications assigned to United Community Banks turned up in a Google Patents assignee search on 14 October 2026. The named AI-related vendors are Microsoft, whose Copilot staff use internally for presentations and notes according to ABA Banking Journal, and Newgen, whose SBA lending platform the bank adopted in 2025 and which Newgen says includes AI-powered underwriting. Harton says most of the bank's AI arrives through vendors, mainly fraud vendors, and none of those is named. Weaver spoke in an Alloy session on AI agents, but no Alloy contract is disclosed.

  1. United Community earns 11th J.D. Power Award in the last 16 years
    United Community · Mar 27, 2025
  2. United Community Climbs 32 Spots on American Banker's 2025 Best Banks to Work For List
    United Community · Nov 13, 2025
  3. United Community Earns 12th JD Power Award in 17 Years
    United Community · Mar 26, 2026
  4. United Community Banks, Inc. 2025 Annual Report
    United Community Banks · Mar 31, 2026
  5. United Community Banks, Inc. Reports First Quarter Earnings
    United Community Banks · Apr 21, 2026
  6. United Community Banks, Inc. Announces Agreement to Sell Equipment Finance Business, Consisting of Navitas Credit Corp. and NLFC Reinsurance Corp., to Funds Managed by Wafra Inc.
    United Community Banks · Jun 12, 2026
  7. United Community Banks, Inc. Reports Second Quarter Earnings
    United Community Banks (GlobeNewswire) · Jul 21, 2026
  8. Banks' wealth units pursue AI — carefully
    ABA Banking Journal · Sep 14, 2026
  9. United Community Banks, Inc. Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025
    United Community Banks (SEC filings) · Feb 17, 2026
  10. United Community Banks first-quarter 2026 earnings call transcript (filed under Rule 425)
    United Community Banks (SEC filings) · Apr 21, 2026
  11. UCB to add heft near Atlanta with latest bank deal
    American Banker · Apr 21, 2026
  12. United Community to sell a high-achieving equipment-finance unit
    American Banker · Jun 12, 2026
  13. United Community Banks, Inc. Announces Completion Of Merger With Peach State Bancshares, Inc., The Parent Company Of Peach State Bank & Trust
    United Community Banks · Aug 3, 2026
  14. The backlog that never shrinks: Scaling risk ops with AI
    American Banker (Partner Insights from Alloy) · Aug 15, 2026
  15. Mark Terry
    United Community Banks (investor relations) · Sep 24, 2026
  16. United Community Banks, Inc. Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023
    United Community Banks (SEC filings) · Feb 23, 2024
  17. United Community Banks, Inc. Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024
    United Community Banks (SEC filings) · Feb 27, 2025
  18. United Community Banks, Inc. Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2026
    United Community Banks (SEC filings) · May 6, 2026
  19. United Community Banks, Inc. Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026
    United Community Banks (SEC filings) · Aug 5, 2026
  20. United Community Banks, Inc. 2026 Proxy Statement (DEF 14A)
    United Community Banks (SEC filings) · Apr 1, 2026
  21. United Community Banks, Inc. and ANB Holdings, Inc., the Parent of American National Bank, Announce Merger Agreement
    United Community Banks (GlobeNewswire) · Dec 3, 2024
  22. United Community Banks, Inc. Announces Completion of Merger With ANB Holdings, Inc., The Parent of American National Bank
    United Community Banks · May 1, 2025
  23. United Community completes transition of American National Bank
    United Community · Jul 14, 2025
  24. United Community digitises small business lending with Newgen
    Fintech Futures · May 14, 2025
  25. UCB Q4 2025 earnings call transcript (United Community Banks)
    The Motley Fool · Jan 15, 2026
  26. UCB (UCB) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
    The Motley Fool · Jul 21, 2026
  27. Form 425 filed by United Community Banks, Inc. (Peach State employee update, 15 May 2026)
    United Community Banks (SEC filings) · May 15, 2026
  28. Equity Purchase Agreement for the sale of Navitas Credit Corp. and NLFC Reinsurance Corp. (Exhibit 2.1 to Form 8-K)
    United Community Banks (SEC filings) · Jun 12, 2026
  29. United Community Banks, Inc. Announces Completion of Sale of Navitas Equipment Finance Business to Funds Managed by Wafra Inc.
    United Community Banks · Sep 1, 2026
  30. United Community Banks, Inc. Announces Completion of Strategic Initiatives That Simplify and Strengthen Balance Sheet; Increased Share Repurchase Authorization
    United Community Banks · Sep 8, 2026
  31. Abraham A. Cox
    United Community Banks (investor relations) · Jul 17, 2026
  32. Protect Your Business from Payment Fraud and Account Takeover
    United Community · Sep 18, 2026
  33. Google Patents assignee search for United Community Banks (no matching assignee found)
    Google Patents (USPTO) · Oct 14, 2026

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