Navigating Financial Industry Challenges: AI, Risk Assessment, and the Future  

19 November 2024| 7 min|Marcin Góral - GRC Expert

Dive into the Future of Financial Services

Are you curious about the challenges and opportunities shaping the financial industry today? In this insightful blog post, we delve into an exclusive interview with Marcin Góral, a seasoned GRC expert with over 26 years of experience, conducted by Adam Bernaś, Certified Master Architect at SPOC.

Together, they explore the dynamic transformations reshaping the financial sector, offering valuable insights on the impact of global regulations, the role of cutting-edge technology, and strategies for staying competitive in a rapidly changing market.

Stay tuned to gain valuable insights from one of the industry’s most seasoned professionals! 

Navigating the Ever-Changing Financial Landscape: Insights from 25+ Years of Industry Evolution

With over 25 years of experience in the financial markets, one thing has become crystal clear — the financial services industry is in a perpetual state of transformation. The pace of change is relentless, driven by global economic fluctuations, the aftermath of the H1N1 pandemic, rapidly evolving customer expectations, and groundbreaking technological advancements. ” – Marcin Góral, GRC Expert

Today, the financial sector faces challenges like never before. Companies must innovate and adapt to remain competitive in an environment shaped by disruptive technologies, data security concerns, and a customer-centric revolution. Staying ahead is no longer just a goal; it’s a necessity for survival.

Among the many pressing issues reshaping the industry, several stand out as the most critical. From the rise of self-learning AI and the emergence of fintech as powerful challengers, to the growing threats of cybercrime and the demand for seamless customer experiences — each presents both a challenge and an opportunity.

However, four key areas demand immediate attention: digital transformation, regulatory compliance, increased competition, and changing customer demands. In this article, we’ll explore these challenges n depth and discuss how financial institutions can navigate the complexities of today’s market while positioning themselves for future success.

Navigating Financial Industry Challenges

In my opinion, digital transformation is one of the most important challenges facing the financial services industry in 2024 and the years to come. Customers are demanding services tailored to their individual needs and preferences, which can only be delivered through the integration of digital technologies. From mobile banking to virtual assistants, organisations must embrace these technologies to remain competitive.” – Marcin Góral, GRC Expert

However, digital transformation comes with its own challenges. Cybersecurity risks have become more prevalent, and businesses need to ensure they have the right measures in place to protect their customers’ data. Digital transformation also requires significant investment, which can be a challenge for small and medium-sized enterprises.  

On the other hand, regulatory compliance is another significant challenge facing financial services organisations today. Different regulatory bodies impose different compliance requirements, making it a complex and time-consuming process. Compliance is essential to maintaining customer trust, but it can be challenging for organizations to keep track of these regulations. Organisations need to ensure that they are complying with regulations such as DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act) and NIS2 (Network and Information Systems Directive 2) to prevent financial crime. We are referring to EU requirements, but of course the US or China or other markets have their own equivalent regulations. Failure to comply can result in significant fines and reputational damage.  

Conversely, competition has intensified. This is a challenge that affects every company in the financial services industry. And not just there.   Traditional banks, for example, face competition from fintech start-ups that offer innovative products and services that appeal to younger customers. This competition drives innovation and forces companies to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Increased competition can also lead to downward pressure on prices and margins. Companies may need to lower their prices or offer more value-added services to attract and retain customers. This can be a challenging task, especially for companies with limited resources.  

At the same time, we are seeing changing and growing customer demands. As technology advances, customers are becoming more tech-savvy and expect financial services providers to offer personalised and convenient services that can be accessed anytime, anywhere. They also expect transparency in fees and pricing, exceptional customer service and the ability to interact with providers through multiple channels, including online, mobile and physical branches. In addition, customers are becoming more socially and environmentally conscious, which affects their financial decisions. Companies that align with these values by promoting sustainability and social responsibility in their operations are more likely to attract and retain customers. Environmental and social responsibility has become a key deal breaker for the new generation.   

Moreover, customer demands are not limited to digital and environmental issues. Demographic shifts and changing lifestyles are also influencing customer demands. For example, younger clients may prioritise convenience and digital services, while older clients may value personal relationships and trust with their financial advisors. 

How are companies tackling them?

MG: Well, in terms of digital transformation, many banks are trying to keep up with changing customer demands by digitising their operations. For example, a bank or other financial institution may invest in mobile apps, virtual assistants and chatbots to provide personalised and convenient services to its customers. However, it is also important for the institution to ensure that its digital infrastructure is secure and protected from cybersecurity risks.  

In terms of regulatory compliance requirements, the most important thing is to always be ready in time. By this, I mean that constantly navigating through the regulations set by the governing bodies is a challenging and also very expensive task for many financial market firms. Meeting these regulatory requirements can be difficult and often requires significant time and resources to maintain accurate records, disclose conflicts of interest and adhere to ethical standards. Failure to comply can result in severe financial penalties. So what they do to prevent it – they put structures and procedures in place, hire people and/or invest in the appropriate IT infrastructure. When we talk about increased competition in the marketplace, we see that the technological maturity and professionalism of companies is increasingly making the difference. Those who are faster, cheaper and more compliant will win.   

At the same time, many fintech startups offering personal finance management tools are facing increased competition from other startups offering similar products. To remain competitive, these startups need to differentiate themselves by offering unique features and exceptional customer service.   For example, they might offer personalised recommendations based on a user’s spending habits or provide educational resources to help users better understand their finances.   

In the end, well-prepared and adapted technological tools can be a game changer for the financial institution and a real competitive advantage. Last but not least, customer demands are changing. New generations are constantly entering the market as potential customers. Financial institutions have to find a way to address their offer to many different customers from different generations at the same time. This is very challenging.   

To appeal to a younger, more environmentally conscious demographic, financial firms are taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint and improve their digital offerings. For example, some firms are launching paperless billing initiatives and investing in renewable energy projects. In addition, banks and insurance companies are developing user-friendly mobile apps that allow customers to track their products and make informed decisions.  

How is AI changing the financial industry, particularly in risk assessment?   

MG: I believe, AI technology is revolutionising risk assessment in the financial industry, and not just by providing improved accuracy and predictive analysis of complex data sets. After quickly processing large amounts of information, AI can identify risks that may have gone unnoticed using manual methods.

Thanks to automated solutions, companies can address individual risks or groups of risks faster, more accurately and better, manage them better and provide better solutions for both the company itself and its customers. And at the end of the day, it is also cheaper to use than processes realised by humans and less likely to generate possible errors, of course, if the algorithms are correct.

What are the potential risks of over-reliance on AI in insurance decision-making?

MG: Most often, over-reliance on AI occurs when users begin to accept incorrect AI recommendations – making mistakes. Users find it difficult to determine the appropriate level of trust because they do not know what the AI can do, how well it can perform or how it works. But most importantly, the source of this risk is the weakened skill development of the AI user. For example, a claims adjuster whose ability to handle new situations or consider multiple perspectives is degraded or limited to cases that the AI has access to.

Efficient and accurate AI relies on sophisticated data science, which demands:

  • Careful curation of knowledge representations in the database,
  • Decomposition of data matrices to reduce dimensionality,
  • Pre-processing of data sets to mitigate the confounding effects of missing, redundant and outlier data.

Insurance AI users need to be aware that limitations in the quality of input data have insurance implications, potentially reducing the accuracy of actuarial analysis models. As AI technologies continue to mature and use cases expand, insurers should not shy away from the technology. However, insurers should bring their insurance domain expertise to the development of AI technologies. Their ability to communicate the provenance of input data and ensure data quality will contribute to the safe and controlled application of AI in the insurance industry.  

A three-pronged approach can be proposed to mitigate AI risk:  

  1. Start with a training programme to create mandatory awareness for staff involved in the development, selection or use of AI tools to ensure alignment with expectations.  
  2. Then, implement a vendor assessment program to assess the robustness of vendor controls and ensure appropriate transparency, codified in contracts.
  3. Finally, establish a policy enforcement measure to define standards, roles and responsibilities, approval processes and maintenance policies across the AI development lifecycle.  

Of course, an appropriate IT solution could be very helpful in managing all of this.

Looking ahead, what innovations do you expect to see in the financial industry over the next few years?

MG: The financial services industry is facing unprecedented challenges. We talked about digital transformation, regulatory compliance, increased competition and changing customer demands. By leveraging new digital technologies and adopting innovative strategies, companies can overcome these challenges and remain more competitive. I think this is the path that most companies in the financial market will take. The next innovations will be based on the use of artificial intelligence. And it will happen wherever we can apply it and still keep control over it.   

There are two key drivers: intelligent automation, which opens up new opportunities for financial services firms to deliver faster, more cost-effective, and more accurate services; and automation technologies, which have a transformative impact, facilitating the standardisation and simplification of core financial processes. 

The use of automation requires the creation of finance-specific utilities that are different from those used in other business functions. It can also be the increased use of AI in budgeting, investing, debt management and personalisation – AI and machine learning are already reshaping personal financial management, and in the foreseeable future, AI-powered financial advisors will become commonplace.   

AI-powered advisors are already one of the fastest growing fintech trends, and the utility, accuracy and use cases for such tools will only increase.   

There’s a lot more ahead of us, and we could talk about it for many more hours, but I think the focus on individual customer needs and cost efficiency initiatives will be the main driver of new innovation across the financial sector in the coming years.   

Ready to take your organization to the next level?

As the financial industry continues to evolve, staying ahead of challenges like regulatory compliance, risk assessment, and the adoption of AI technologies is more critical than ever. At SPOC, we specialize in delivering innovative solutions that streamline processes, enhance efficiency, and empower teams to tackle these challenges with confidence.

Contact us today at sales@spoc.eu to schedule a demo and discover how our expertise can help your business navigate the complexities of the financial industry and thrive in a rapidly changing landscape.