Banks say growing reliance on Big Tech for AI brings new risks

Banks say growing reliance on Big Tech for AI brings new risks is profiled by BTW Media because published evidence links it to internet infrastructure, governance, operational dependencies, or market visibility.

• European banking executives note heightened dependence on major U.S. tech firms due to the AI boom, introducing new risks for the industry.
• Banks are increasingly relying on big tech for AI infrastructure, with concerns about vendor lock-in and the potential disruption of services.
• Britain has proposed regulations to manage financial firms’ significant reliance on external tech providers like Microsoft, Google, IBM, and Amazon, highlighting the need for flexibility in tech partnerships to avoid disruptions.

OUR TAKE
The growing reliance of banks on big U.S. tech firms for AI infrastructure underscores the need for careful management of vendor relationships and regulatory oversight to ensure stability and innovation in the financial sector. Balancing the benefits of AI with concerns about dependency and risk mitigation will be crucial for navigating this evolving landscape.
–Crystal Feng, BTW reporter.

The AI boom is increasing banks’ dependence on major U.S. tech firms for AI infrastructure, raising concerns about vendor lock-in and regulatory risks due to reliance on a limited number of providers. European banking executives are urging flexibility in tech partnerships to mitigate potential disruptions in financial services.

Banks’ dependence on big U.S. tech firms increases with AI boom

The rapid growth of artificial intelligence is expected to heighten banks’ reliance on major U.S. tech companies, introducing new risks for the industry, European banking executives have noted. Enthusiasm for utilising AI in financial services, already commonly employed for fraud and money laundering detection, has surged since the release of OpenAI’s popular chatbot ChatGPT in late 2022. Banks are now exploring broader applications of generative AI.

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Banks may rely more on big tech for AI infrastructure

At a fintech executives’ meeting in Amsterdam this week, several expressed concerns that the computing power required to develop AI capabilities would heighten banks’ dependence on a limited number of tech providers. Bahadir Yilmaz, ING‘s chief analytics officer who manages the Dutch bank’s AI initiatives, stated that he anticipates relying increasingly on Big Tech firms for infrastructure and equipment. Yilmaz highlighted that the necessary machine power for these technologies is often too substantial for banks to develop independently.

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Vendor lock-in poses a significant risk for European banks

Yilmaz identified banks’ reliance on a limited number of tech companies as “one of the biggest risks,” urging European banks to maintain the flexibility to switch between different tech providers to prevent “vendor lock-in.” Last year, Britain proposed regulations to manage financial firms’ significant dependence on external tech companies such as Microsoft, Google, IBM, and Amazon. Regulators worry that problems at a single cloud computing provider could disrupt services across numerous financial institutions.