FIS's Stephanie Ferris Talks Earnings, AI Risk

Summary

Podcast Summary: Bloomberg Talks

Episode: FIS's Stephanie Ferris Talks Earnings, AI Risk
Date: February 25, 2026
Host/Interviewer: Bloomberg (possibly Matt Miller or Tom Keene)
Guest: Stephanie Ferris, CEO of FIS

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Overview

This episode features an in-depth conversation with Stephanie Ferris, CEO of financial technology giant FIS, focusing on the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and the future of payments, banking, and global financial services. The discussion unpacks how a recent research report predicted AI could eliminate longstanding industry practices—specifically, transaction fees—and what this could ultimately mean for financial services providers, customers, and workforces. Ferris shares her optimistic, yet pragmatic, perspective on technological disruption, AI adoption, talent development, and the resilience of the US consumer.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. AI as a Generational Disruptor in Finance

• Ferris positions the current moment as a “generational shift” for financial services, citing converging trends of organic and inorganic growth, innovation (crypto, tokenized assets), and the transformative impact of AI (02:10).
• She emphasizes FIS’s unique vantage point:

  “We support like 12% of the world's economy, uses our technology… we have a great purview in terms of what’s happening.” (Stephanie Ferris, 02:18)

• Ferris frames AI not as a threat but as an accelerant:

  “We don't see a world where we're disrupted by AI. We actually see a world where AI is a strategic accelerant.” (Stephanie Ferris, 03:17)

2. Data as an AI Competitive Advantage

• FIS’s vast data resources—over a billion cardholder accounts, 73 billion processed transactions, and nearly a billion bank accounts on file—are highlighted as essential for leveraging AI and assisting client innovation (03:40).
• Ferris notes:

  “What you need to have AI capabilities is a fantastic data...strategy and that's what we have.” (Stephanie Ferris, 03:20)

3. Evolution, Not Replacement, of Payment Systems

• Reflecting on technological waves (internet, Bitcoin), Ferris asserts that innovations like AI and crypto add to the ecosystem rather than nullify legacy systems (05:39).
• Notable quote:

  “We haven't seen ACH go away, we haven't seen branches go away, we haven't seen ATMs go away. It's an ‘and.’” (Stephanie Ferris, 06:25)

• FIS’s responsibility is to enable all payment rails—checks, ACH, crypto, tokenized deposits—ensuring clients can adopt what they need (05:39).

4. AI Literacy and Workforce Development

• Ferris is committed to upskilling FIS’s 55,000 employees, emphasizing AI literacy for all roles, both for product development and internal productivity (07:32).
• On cultural adoption and generational change:

  “It's like putting a computer on your desk…I talk to them all the time about…remember when you had a desk and you did paperwork, and then the next day you had a computer? No one taught you how to use it. You powered it on and figured it out.” (Stephanie Ferris, 06:50)

• Personal anecdote: Ferris draws a parallel between her father (who struggled with computers in the 90s) and today’s older workers facing AI, reinforcing the need for organizational support and personal curiosity (07:32, 09:05).

5. AI’s Impact on Labor Markets and Consumer Health

• Addressing AI-related job loss fears, Ferris acknowledges the debate but notes FIS’s focus on growth, not reduction (07:15).
• Ferris stresses the resilience and ongoing health of the US (and global) consumer:

  “We’re not seeing signs that a consumer is under stress or duress.” (Stephanie Ferris, 09:38)

• She expresses optimism about the ability of workers—especially younger generations—to adapt, while highlighting the importance of equal opportunity for technological upskilling (10:13).

6. Notable, Memorable Moments

• The interviewer jokingly insists Ferris isn’t “older” after her generational anecdote (10:12).
• Ferris’s Ohio roots provide a brief, lighthearted moment among the panel (11:36).

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Timestamped Segment Highlights

• 02:10–04:55: Stephanie Ferris on AI as a transformative, yet positive, force in financial services and FIS’s position as a data leader.
• 05:39–07:15: Evolution of payment rails; why new payment technologies are additive, not replacement.
• 07:32–08:27: AI literacy and workforce transformation, cultural/ generational perspectives on adopting new tech.
• 09:05–09:38: The health of the US consumer, based on proprietary FIS transaction data.
• 10:12–10:13: Generational anecdotes about tech learning, optimism for workforce adaptation.

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Notable Quotes

• Stephanie Ferris (03:17):
  “We don't see a world where we're disrupted by AI. We actually see a world where AI is a strategic accelerant.”
• Stephanie Ferris (06:25):
  “We haven't seen ACH go away, we haven't seen branches go away, we haven't seen ATMs go away. It's an ‘and.’”
• Stephanie Ferris (07:32):
  “I need everyone in my company to be using the most cutting edge technology… I put it in every single person's hands. Everybody has digital capabilities, digital agent capabilities.”
• Stephanie Ferris (09:38):
  “No, we’re not [seeing signs of consumer stress]. The consumer remains healthy, banks remain healthy, financial services remains healthy and is growth on.”
• Stephanie Ferris (10:13):
  “It’s really incumbent upon me…to put that [AI] in everybody’s hands. Do I worry about it? Yes and no. But we need to make sure we’re giving everybody an equal opportunity to get after it.”

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Tone & Takeaway

Stephanie Ferris projects steady optimism in the face of technology-driven change, advocating for embracing AI as both an enabler and a competitive necessity. Her stance is pragmatic: acknowledge the risks, invest in upskilling, view new technologies as complementary, and take comfort in robust data showing continued health for both the sector and its consumers. Her clear, direct communication and relatable anecdotes keep the discussion engaging, practical, and reassuring for listeners navigating similar transitions.

Transcript

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[Interviewer (possibly Matt Miller or Tom Keene)]

A report from a little known firm called Citrini Research sent shockwaves across multiple sectors this week outlining scenarios in which AI agents remove all friction in the economy. Among the scenarios AI agents seek to save users by eliminating transaction fees, fees charged by payment processing firms like MasterCard and Visa. Let's get insight on how one executive is navigating potential risks from AI. Stephanie Faris joins us at the desk. She's CEO of fis, a fintech that helps banks, merchants and capital market firms process payments globally. Stephanie, so great to have you. I'm sure it's been a very fun week for you with everything that's going on. And look, of course your revenues don't come from interchange fees directly, but of course a lot of your customers grapple with this. How are you thinking about the likelihood that this could be the future, that the payments world and processing world and interchange fees completely gets disrupted by AI?

[Stephanie Ferris]

Well, it's a great question and it's certainly hot topic of the day pulling way out. I think if we think about FIs, we're the largest financial technology firm that serves financial services broadly. We see more money that goes across our entire money lifecycle. We support like 12% of the world's economy, uses our technology. So we have a great purview in terms of what's happening. I think the other thing to note that's important as we tackle this question is why we're so excited, excited about 2026 and beyond and so optimistic and I'll bring it back to AI. But financial services in itself is growth on. We are really seeing a generational moment here. So you think about the banking industry and where it sits today in terms of its ability to have less regulatory, be able to grow organically or inorganically $50 billion worth of M and A transactions last year, be able to innovate inside the financial services industry with crypto and tokenized deposits. So financial services as a set, which payments is part of that has a real growth on agenda. At the same time there's a tectonic shift happening in technology which is AI. So you put those two things together and for me it's a generational moment. So when I think about financial services, including payments, you put those two trends together and it's pretty exciting, especially for FIs because we serve that industry. Now with respect to AI, which seems to be the topic of the day and I certainly also read the report, look, I think what you're going to hear from many CEOs that we are eternal optimists. So we believe in technology and as CEO of a technology company, we think innovations in technology like this are really good. We also have survived them over many, many decades. And so when you think about it from an FIS standpoint, we process transactions and run technology for systems of record. They're multi decade systems and they're AI enablers. So we don't see a world where we're disrupted by AI. We actually see a world where AI is a strategic accelerant. And I think that's what you're going to hear from a lot of us that run technology across the financial services industry. What you need to have AI capabilities is a fantastic data and data moat and data strategy and that's what we have. We have more data at FIS than anyone in the financial services industry. We have over a billion cardholder accounts on file. We process 73 billion transactions. We see over 900 million bank accounts on file. And so when we are talking to our customers about AI, it's about how do we help them use their data, how do we help them get to their data, how do we help them build AI agents on top of that data. So for us we see it as an accelerant.

[Interviewer (possibly Matt Miller or Tom Keene)]

I was thinking, I was thinking about this one when I read this Atrini piece. He obviously brings up crypto with his reference to Ether and Solana as maybe a, a payment rail with less friction. And you've seen this before. Right. In your career you were at fifth, third, dealing with payment processing then and at PwC before. So AI is just another. I mean, maybe it's generational, right? But you've seen generational shifts with Bitcoin in 2009 and with the Internet in, in the late 90s. So do you adopt those technologies and then use them to do a better job serving your clients, or do you worry that they will put you out of business?

[Stephanie Ferris]

Yeah, well, we know absolutely we have to adopt them. Right. Our job in terms of payment capabilities. And you're exactly right, whether it's a check, ACH, wire, real time payments, crypto, tokenized deposits, our job as the technology provider is to make those capability capabilities available to every one of our financial institutions. So we have to make sure that we innovate so that they can provide those capabilities. If their clients wants to use crypto, they need to be able to use crypto. If they want to use Circle, if they want to use a tokenized deposit, we have to have that capability. The great news is we have all. And the good news is we're not seeing any of the other things go away. It's an and to your point, right, it hasn't. We haven't seen ACH go away, we haven't seen branches go away, we haven't seen ATMs go away. It's an and. So for us, it's an and. Now, when you think about a technology company ourselves, the thing that I'm most focused on as a CEO is making sure that I enable my entire 55,000 people to be not only AI literate, but AI strength and strong. So we're investing four times in AI capabilities, both in terms of Matt, like you talked about, to deliver to our customers the products, but also to make sure that our technologists are the best in the industry in terms of how to use this technology. It's like putting a computer on your desk. I talk to them all the time about, well, most of them don't even remember. But remember when you had a desk and you did paperwork and then the next day you had a desk and you had a computer, no one taught you how to use it. You powered it on and figured it out. And so that's how we're thinking about it. We're making a lot of investment in our colleagues to make sure that we keep them upskilled and that they can actually be cutting front end as a technology.

[Interviewer (possibly Matt Miller or Tom Keene)]

How are you thinking about that growth of your talent? Because there's one theory, you added more AI Less people. And the other one, which maybe is more interesting if I can do more and can produce more code, you need more people to oversee that code. How are you thinking about things like headcount as you add technology to what people are already doing at fis?

[Stephanie Ferris]

Yeah, it's a great question. We get it all the time. For me, it's most important as a technology company CEO, I need everyone in my company to be using the most cutting edge technology. Whether we're using it to deliver for our products or we're using, using it internally for ourselves. I put it in every single person's hands. Everybody has digital capabilities, a digital agent capabilities. Now the challenge is. And then we give a lot of learning, but you have to have a natural curiosity to want to do it. I talk a lot about my dad who lost his job in the 90s and didn't have a, didn't know how to work on a computer. I came into my career in the 90s and I had a computer. I never knew how to not work with a computer. He never knew how to work with a computer. So that's really where we are in terms of AI. You have to meet, you have to want to learn how to do it. And it's my job as a CEO to make sure that I put the tools in your hands and I encourage you to do it. And then it's really up to you to make sure that you embrace it.

[Interviewer (possibly Matt Miller or Tom Keene)]

One of the things you need at FIS is obviously for consumers to keep powering this economy for sure. Right. And you know, never count the American consumer out is something that I've been hearing for 25 years. But the, the alarm, part of the alarm that just the Trini piece raised is that the white collar jobs are the ones that are going to be lost now. They are the ones that power the bulk of the spending. How much do you worry about that? You've got to think about it. It's so big picture and it's so kind of nebulous, but it would be a concern, right, if, if the top 10% were reduced in terms of workforce.

[Stephanie Ferris]

Yes and no. So you're absolutely right. So first of all, I agree with you. I never count, count the US consumer out. And in fact, because of the large data that we see, not only are financial services and banks booming globally, but the consumer continues to remain healthy. I think you just talked about that on your previous piece. We're not seeing signs that a consumer is under stress or duress. So that good. And I do think, I agree that

[Interviewer (possibly Matt Miller or Tom Keene)]

by the way that bears repeating, because you have a great viewpoint to judge this. You're not seeing signs that the consumer is under stress.

[Stephanie Ferris]

No, we're not. The consumer remains healthy, banks remain healthy, financial services remains healthy and is growth on. I think that's. And that is true globally. I think that's really important to reinforce and it's also why we, as FIs serving that. That sector feel so good about what's going to happen for our company. But also I think it's important to know we aren't seeing any signs of that yet. So in terms of then how to think about the workers, like, frankly, like myself, that are older and need to adopt new technologies.

[Interviewer (possibly Matt Miller or Tom Keene)]

You're not older.

[Stephanie Ferris]

Oh, thank you. Thank you so much. Look, I think it's. This is my point where I tell the story about my dad and I talk, by the way, everybody tell everybody. It's a great ending. He retired. He couldn't figure out how to do save or save as on the computer, but my mom could and he was very happy. So it's a happy story. But I do think it's incumbent and I talk to my teams about it a lot. I'm not worried about the younger workers. My daughter's about to graduate and come into the workforce. She needs to get a job. She will know how to use AI just like I know figured out how to use a computer. It's really incumbent upon me, as the CEO of the technology company, to put that in everybody's hands. Do I worry about it? I. Yes and no. But we need to make sure that we're giving everybody an equal opportunity to get after it. The Citron research story, as I told you about it before we came on, it was super depressing. And then I woke up the next morning and I was, you know, again, going back to my optimistic point. Point as a CEO, Markets too. Yeah. It's. It's too much to take. And so I think we're all going to be just fine.

[Interviewer (possibly Matt Miller or Tom Keene)]

Stephanie, this has been so amazing. We could have you on for another hour. I also think, by the way, part of this conversation is why it's important that, like, schools are teaching AI and they're not resisting against it. Stephanie, please come back again. This is so wonderful.

Are you actually from the great state of Ohio?

[Stephanie Ferris]

I am.

[Interviewer (possibly Matt Miller or Tom Keene)]

All right. That's. That's why.

[Alexis Christophers]

Oh, wow.

[Stephanie Ferris]

We're. You and I have a connection there, don't we? In.

[Interviewer (possibly Matt Miller or Tom Keene)]

In that. I used to go to parties at Miami.

[Stephanie Ferris]

Exactly. And Miami basketball. I have to mention out. Great job. Go Red fox.

[Alexis Christophers]

I love this, Stephanie.

[Interviewer (possibly Matt Miller or Tom Keene)]

Thank you so much. Again. That's Stephanie Ferriss, the CEO of fis.

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