Global research from Chartis and Hawk has highlighted how payment and FinTech firms are reaching a new stage of maturity in their use of artificial intelligence (AI), transforming compliance processes through advanced technologies.
The report, AI in Financial Crime & Compliance: Charting the Path from Pilot to Maturity, reveals that companies are increasingly turning to AI to improve detection, accelerate investigations, and reduce operational costs.
According to the findings, payment firms are rapidly advancing from experimentation to full-scale implementation of AI models. These include machine learning, generative AI (GenAI), and agentic AI — technologies that together enhance the speed, precision, and scalability of financial crime prevention and compliance monitoring.
The research shows that AI is now delivering measurable returns on investment. Over half of the firms surveyed cited improved detection accuracy as the leading benefit of AI adoption, followed closely by faster investigations and lower operational costs. Notably, 73% of payment firms already report measurable savings in anti-money laundering (AML) compliance costs, with nearly one-third expecting to save more than $5m within the next year.
Looking ahead, the industry’s optimism around GenAI and agentic AI remains strong. An overwhelming 94% of respondents said they plan to increase their AI investment over the next 12 months. Of these, 88% are prioritising GenAI for its ability to process documents and data at scale, boosting investigative efficiency. Meanwhile, 84% are set to invest in agentic AI to enhance case investigations and streamline suspicious activity report (SAR) drafting.
The report underscores a pivotal shift in how compliance teams operate. AI is no longer seen as an experimental tool but as an essential driver of efficiency, accuracy, and resilience in the face of growing financial crime threats. As the study concludes, the organisations that successfully scale AI capabilities will define the next generation of compliance innovation within the FinTech and payments ecosystem.
Read the daily FinTech news
Copyright © 2025 FinTech Global
Copyright © 2018 RegTech Analyst
