Fenergo Survey: Over 25% of Financial Firms Expect $4M+ Annual Savings from Agentic AI in Compliance
More than 90% of financial institutions worldwide are planning to adopt agentic AI within the next two years to improve compliance operations, according to a recent study by Fenergo. This research surveyed 90 professionals in risk, compliance, and technology roles across asset managers and various banks in the US and UK for the year 2025.
Currently, 6% of these firms are already using agentic AI, signaling a clear shift toward automation in compliance tasks. The main drivers behind this trend are improving the effectiveness and reducing the costs of compliance functions.
Where Agentic AI Makes the Biggest Impact
Firms are focusing their AI efforts on high-value, high-risk areas that deliver immediate results. The top use cases identified include:
- Fraud detection (36%)
- KYC maintenance (19%)
- Transaction monitoring (16%)
These priorities reflect the pressing need to strengthen financial crime prevention while streamlining compliance processes.
Cost Savings and Efficiency Gains
Manual KYC processes and slow client onboarding currently cause 67% of global financial institutions to lose clients. Agentic AI could change that by automating repetitive tasks, speeding up decision-making, and reducing compliance breaches.
Importantly, 26% of the surveyed firms expect to save over $4 million annually by adopting agentic AI. These savings come from less manual work and more efficient workflows, which directly benefit operations teams managing compliance.
Concerns and Considerations
Despite the benefits, concerns remain. In the US, 44% of financial institutions cited data privacy as a top concern when implementing agentic AI, while 36% pointed to regulatory challenges. These issues must be addressed carefully to avoid slowing adoption.
Additionally, nearly three-quarters (71%) of firms consider scalability the most crucial factor when evaluating new technologies. This indicates a strong interest in deploying agentic AI beyond pilot programs, integrating it more broadly across compliance and operational functions.
Key Takeaway for Operations Teams
Agentic AI offers a clear path to reducing manual workloads, accelerating compliance decisions, and cutting costs in a regulated environment. Operations professionals should watch for solutions that include built-in governance and control features to meet privacy and regulatory demands.
By leveraging these tools, financial institutions can improve their compliance effectiveness while preparing for future regulatory expectations.
For those looking to deepen their AI knowledge and boost operational efficiency, exploring targeted AI training courses can be valuable. Consider resources like Complete AI Training’s courses by job to get practical skills relevant to compliance and operations roles.
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