MFSA training programme to conclude with workshop on AI risks in financial services

The Financial Supervisors Academy (FSA) is set to conclude its External Training Programme with a workshop examining the growing use of artificial intelligence across the financial services sector.

The FSA, the training and academic arm of the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA), said the final workshop will focus on the impact of AI on trading and operational systems, as well as the implications for governance, risk management, operational resilience and regulatory compliance.

Entitled AI in Trading & Operational Systems, the session will be delivered by Professor Maria Lucia Passador, Assistant Professor of Corporate Law and Financial Markets Regulation at Bocconi University.

The workshop will examine how AI is already being used in areas including algorithmic trading, liquidity management, risk modelling, compliance and supervisory activities.

However, the session will also turn its attention to the risks that could emerge as financial institutions become increasingly dependent on AI-driven systems.

Among the issues to be discussed are the possibility of similar technologies and models being deployed across the market, reliance on a relatively small number of technology providers, and the potential impact of AI-driven behaviour on liquidity and wider financial stability.

Transparency and explainability will also feature prominently, particularly where AI systems are used to support financial and operational decision-making.

Another focus will be the interaction between the EU AI Act and the regulatory frameworks already governing financial institutions.

Participants will consider how the AI Act sits alongside legislation and regulatory requirements including MiFID II, the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) and the Capital Requirements Regulation and Directive (CRR/CRD).

The session will explore how existing prudential and regulatory obligations can be applied alongside emerging AI requirements, including the challenges posed when AI systems operate across different institutions and jurisdictions.

RegTech and SupTech will also be discussed as potential tools for supporting compliance and supervisory activities, alongside the question of how regulators should respond to emerging risks associated with AI-driven trading and operational systems.

According to the MFSA, the workshop will encourage participants to consider how governance and supervisory frameworks can facilitate the "safe and resilient" use of AI within financial services.

The workshop is aimed at financial services professionals, risk and compliance practitioners, legal and regulatory specialists, supervisory authorities and public-sector professionals.

It will take place at the MFSA on 14th October 2026, with registration available through the FSA training portal.