Most mortgage lenders rate artificial intelligence implementation as one of their top priorities for the rest of the year, yet are still moving slowly.

More than 80% of lenders are evaluating AI tools across their businesses, but just 17% have deployed the technology in live production workflows, according to The Mortgage Collaborative's June 2026 Pulse of the Network survey, which includes input from independent mortgage banks, credit unions and depository institutions.

About 36% of respondents are piloting at least one AI tool, and 33% are actively researching without deployment.

Enterprise AI spanning all business functions was the most widely analyzed technology, cited by 83% of respondents, followed by loan origination system optimization at 64% and AI for loan underwriting at 61%.

Trust was the main barrier to broader adoption, 25% of respondents said, while cost constraints and a lack of internal expertise were each mentioned by 19% of lenders. Vendor immaturity and regulatory uncertainty were also cited by 14% of respondents each, according to the survey.

Technology and AI implementation ranked second among strategic priorities for lenders in the second half of the year, narrowly behind growth. Lenders intend to rely on their existing staff to achieve it, as 75% of respondents said increasing production from their current sales team is their primary growth strategy. Recruiting experienced loan officers followed at 65%, the survey found.

Overall, 83% of respondents said their company is focused on growth, and 89% expect origination volume to increase throughout the rest of the year, with most projecting moderate gains of 5%-20%, although 17% anticipate a significant jump. Elevated rates and low housing inventory remain the two most commonly mentioned obstacles, according to the survey.

"The results show a membership that is more confident about volume in the second half of the year, but still disciplined about how they get there," said Jodi Hall, president and CEO of The Mortgage Collaborative, in a press release. "Members are prioritizing production from their current teams and technology investment over expansion, and they are asking specific questions about AI governance and per-loan costs."

Operational efficiency slotted in third among lenders' top priorities, with an emphasis on better use of existing investments and talent. Reducing loan production costs was the top operational priority for 86% of respondents, followed by vendor and technology consolidation at 64%.

Borrower retention was listed as the top secondary market goal by 75% of respondents, the survey found. 

Lenders' caution for AI also extends to their compliance departments, where automated decisioning uses more resources than any other area, 75% of respondents said. Almost 50% expressed concerns about fair lending risk tied to AI decisioning, and 22% said they haven't fully addressed it. More than half called state-level regulatory complexity a burden as well, the release said.