Disruptive influences: Technology, politics and change in the financial sector

Are we are on the verge of another industrial revolution? Cheap computing power and strides in machine learning make computers good enough to solve problems which only a few years ago could only be tackled by the human brain. This has the potential to turn the services sector upside down.

Over time computers will autonomously undertake complex tasks that would previously have been the preserve of highly trained professionals. A range of services from financial planning to medical diagnostics will be carried out by machines more cheaply and possibly far more effectively. The benefits of this revolution will be huge. But it will also pose challenges for society.

This report looks thematically at the implications of technology for different aspects of the financial sector from regulation to cyber security.

Areas covered:
• Section One - Implications for politics and regulation.
• Section Two - Implications for consumers and the public interest.
• Section Three - Emerging risk challenges for the insurance sector.
• Section Four - Technological and geopolitical risks.