FStech has successfully delivered its third annual Future of Financial Services conference, bringing together senior leaders from across the financial services industry to explore the practical realities of scaling AI responsibly.

The conference featured compelling presentations and panels from HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, Citi, Standard Chartered, SMBC Group, AXA UK and NatWest, alongside leading vendors and technology providers shaping how institutions approach AI deployment.

Held on 6 October 2026 at London Hilton Tower Bridge, the conference explored how financial institutions are moving beyond the "whether" of AI adoption to the "how": building governance frameworks that accelerate rather than slow innovation, managing the emergence of AI agents on both sides of transactions, and rethinking the workforce for an age of agentic systems.

The morning opened with Doug Robertson, Group Head of Responsible AI Management and Strategy at HSBC, arguing that governance done well is the accelerator that allows firms to operate AI at scale. Transmit Security then delivered a presentation on the arrival of customer agents and the new visibility challenges they bring. A regulation panel, sponsored by Aveni, brought together perspectives from HSBC, Citi and AXA UK to tackle the phased implementation of the EU AI Act and the UK's evolving guidance, whilst Antithesis highlighted the tension between velocity and verification that many development teams now face.

After lunch, the conference turned to the infrastructure required for production-ready AI. An EPAM-sponsored panel featuring Lloyds Banking Group and NatWest Group explored legacy modernisation and API orchestration. An fireside chat with Academy AI's Rob Barnett probed the workforce transformation needed as AI agents take on more tasks, with a focus on AI capability debt and shadow AI adoption.

The final sessions looked at real-time payments through a Form3-sponsored panel featuring SMBC Group and Standard Chartered, and AI in investment management, before closing with Tom Martin of Lloyds Banking Group delivering a keynote on how agentic AI is reshaping the fight against fraud. A Multiverse-sponsored session on upskilling the workforce preceded the keynote.

The conference culminated in a quiz for attendees – with a £100 Virgin Experiences gift voucher for the winner – and closing remarks from conference chair, FStech group editor, Jonathan Easton.

"We saw three clear threads emerge across the day: the need for governance that enables innovation, the challenge of visibility in an age of agents, and the imperative to rethink workforce skills and structure," said Easton. "Financial services is very much in the thick of an AI transition, and these conversations are only going to deepen. I look forward to continuing these vital discussions and debates at future FStech events."

FStech is also hosting CyberSecurity Live on 11 November 2026 at Hilton London Tower Bridge. The conference brings together senior cybersecurity, risk and technology leaders from across financial services to explore strategic insight and practical execution in an environment where AI is now embedded across both attack and defence layers. For more information and to register, visit www.fstech.co.uk/cybersecuritylive.

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