30pc of financial firms now employ agentic AI: survey

The Securities and Futures Commission has released its first-ever AI readiness survey, showing that most large financial firms in Hong Kong already use artificial intelligence across their operations, with adoption expected to accelerate over the coming year. The survey, conducted between July and August this year, covered 20 large financial firms with 78 affiliated licensed corporations in Hong Kong. Together they accounted for over 75 per cent of securities transactions reported by licensed corporations in the six months ended June. The survey found that 95 per cent of surveyed firms expected AI usage to accelerate over the next 12 months, with 90 per cent already connecting AI tools to internal systems. AI use now spans front-, middle- and back-office activities. "AI adoption in Hong Kong in the capital market is growing rapidly in speed and in scale," SFC chief executive officer Julia Leung said during the Hong Kong Fintech Week. Notably, agentic AI – which can autonomously determine and execute steps to achieve an objective – is gaining traction, the survey showed. Thirty per cent of surveyed firms already use it in their business operations, and 25 per cent are piloting it with varying degrees of autonomy and human involvement. However, Leung struck a note of...