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UK MPs Warn Financial Watchdogs on AI Risks, Urge Stress Tests and Tighter Oversight

Lawmakers press for AI stress tests alongside clearer FCA accountability guidance to curb risks from rapid adoption.

Overview

  • A cross-party Treasury Committee says a 75% AI uptake across finance, coupled with a wait-and-see stance by regulators, leaves consumers and markets exposed to "potential serious harm."
  • The report urges the Bank of England and the FCA to run AI-specific stress tests and asks the FCA to issue detailed guidance by the end of 2026 on consumer rules and senior accountability.
  • MPs flag concentration risk from reliance on a few U.S. cloud and AI firms and criticise delays under the Critical Third Parties regime, noting no providers have been designated so far.
  • The FCA and the Bank of England welcomed the findings and said they will review the recommendations, with no commitment to AI-specific rules at this stage.
  • The government appointed Starling’s Harriet Rees and Lloyds’ Rohit Dhawan as unpaid AI champions to help steer safe adoption across financial services.