AI and The Next Era of APAC Compliance

Compliance teams across the Asia-Pacific region are under mounting pressure. Regulatory expectations are rising, financial crime is growing more complex, and manual processes continue to consume time and resources. At the same time, the use of artificial intelligence is moving from experimentation to practical consideration. The question is no longer if AI will shape compliance, but how institutions can adopt it safely, effectively, and at scale.

AI and the Next Era of APAC Compliance is an original research report produced by Risk.net in collaboration with Fenergo, based on an in-depth survey of 110 risk, financial crime, and compliance leaders working at banks and asset managers across Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia. Conducted between September and November 2025, the study offers a rare, data-led view into how APAC institutions are approaching AI today, and what’s holding them back. 

Rather than focusing on hype, this report examines the operational reality on the ground. It explores where compliance teams are still heavily reliant on manual work, why data quality and system fragmentation remain major barriers, and how organizations are weighing automation against regulatory expectations for control, explainability, and governance. The research also looks at emerging interest in agentic AI, highlighting where firms see potential value and where caution prevails.

Alongside quantitative findings, the report includes expert commentary from senior industry voices at Fenergo, Deutsche Bank, CIMB, MariBank, and former regional risk leadership at Natixis, offering practical insight into how institutions are thinking about AI adoption in real-world compliance environments. These perspectives bring context to the survey results, particularly around governance models, human-in-the-loop approaches, and the future skills required within compliance teams.

Inside the report, readers will gain insight into:

• How APAC firms are currently using (or not using) AI in compliance
• The most common challenges slowing AI adoption today
• Priority use cases being considered across KYC, monitoring, and fraud
• What partial automation looks like in practice, and why full automation remains elusive

This is essential reading for compliance, risk, and financial crime leaders navigating AI decisions in a highly regulated, fast-evolving region. Access the full report to understand what your peers are doing now, and how AI may reshape the APAC compliance function in the years ahead.