Technology

The two bills would require banking agencies to study artificial intelligence and its application in the banking sector, and would codify findings from an earlier AI working group formed by the committee.

As 2024 comes to a close, trends such as open banking, fights over credit card fees and the future of faster payments are still in flux.

The technology has the potential to democratize access to knowledge about financial services, but like any tool, it must be used carefully and responsibly.

Items include estimations of President-elect Donald Trump's impact on fintech funding, the fallout from VyStar Credit Union's tech moves and more.

In a string of speeches last week, the top federal banking regulators outlined goals and framed their thinking about artificial intelligence in financial services, but the biggest questions around liability and widespread adoption remain unanswered.

The National Credit Union Administration lacks the authority to regulate third-party vendors that supply vital services to the industry. This creates a major risk to credit union customers and the broader U.S. economy.

The use cases are growing and banks don't want to risk being left behind, especially with younger customers who are more open to the technology.

While companies tend to amp up warnings to consumers about fraud and scams during the holidays, institutions may also need to bulk up their defenses.

While the risks, benefits and magnitude of artificial intelligence's impact on financial services remain unclear, agencies should keep an open mind toward the technology and avoid reflexive risk aversion in bank supervision, Federal Reserve Gov. Michelle Bowman said.

The Federal Reserve released the volume of activity on its instant payments network since its launch last summer, showing a surge in usage between July and August.