A Deutsche Bank AI project has reduced the wait for some corporate loan decisions from weeks to minutes, Reuters reported Monday, showing how the lender is applying automation as it pursues efficiency targets.
Marie-Jeanne Deverdun, Deutsche Bank’s chief technology, data and innovation officer, told Reuters that the quicker decisions apply to smaller companies with comparatively straightforward business and legal arrangements. She also said some decisions for multinational borrowers have gone from months to weeks. Reuters reported that the project went live in summer 2026.
Reuters did not quantify how many applications the project handles or say whether its software recommends an outcome or makes final credit decisions. In a January 2026 explainer, Deutsche Bank said credit officers review and assess AI-generated material in its credit work. The explainer does not say whether those procedures apply to the newer lending project.
Deutsche Bank’s strategy for 2026-2028 targets about €2 billion in gross efficiencies and a cost/income ratio below 60% by 2028. The bank links its efficiency goals partly to combining and automating processes and expanding its use of AI.
The bank’s 2025 annual report says its first AI agents were already automating parts of core processes and that it had created an AI developer platform. The report also describes plans to phase out older applications and develop a new Corporate Bank platform for Trade Finance and Lending.
Reuters also reported that Deutsche Bank plans to spend more than €2.5 billion on technology from 2026 through 2028. Deverdun identified cyber risk as her top priority, Reuters said. The report did not specify how much of the planned spending would go to the lending project.
