Risk Management

.BBVA has rolled out ChatGPT Enterprise to 11,000 staff, one of the largest AI deployments in banking. A pilot showed workers saved three hours weekly, with 80% daily use and thousands of custom GPTs for internal workflows. The bank now embeds LLMs into risk analysis, software development, and a new “Blue” virtual assistant for customers, while enforcing enterprise‑grade security, role‑based training, and performance monitoring. BBVA expects up to 5% operating‑cost reductions and faster product launches, positioning it as a benchmark for AI adoption in the regulated financial sector.

First Trust Advisors announced that its First Trust Income Opportunities ETF (FCEF) will make a $0.1350 per‑share monthly cash distribution, with an ex‑dividend and record date of Dec 11, 2025 and payable on Dec 31, 2025. The fund, managed by First Trust Advisors, targets income‑focused investors through a diversified mix of dividend‑paying equities, REITs, and short‑duration bonds, leveraging algorithmic creation/redemption for tax efficiency. Investors should consider market, sector, liquidity and cybersecurity risks before investing. Source: First Trust Advisors L.P.

Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) announced that Thailand’s InnovestX Securities, a SCBX subsidiary, will adopt ICE’s Portfolio Analytics (IPA) platform. IPA offers a unified, cloud‑native environment for pre‑trade pricing, intraday analytics, and lifecycle management across multiple asset classes, leveraging ICE’s high‑resolution market data and real‑time risk dashboards. The solution aims to enhance InnovestX’s pricing accuracy, automate workflows, and tighten risk controls for structured products, reducing manual errors and accelerating trade execution. ICE highlights the partnership as part of its strategy to expand technology services in emerging markets and support data‑driven risk management.

Boards are demanding productivity gains from enterprise AI, but features like web browsing and application connectivity introduce cybersecurity risks, including indirect prompt injection attacks. Tenable research highlights these vulnerabilities, potentially enabling data exfiltration and malware persistence. Mitigation requires treating AI assistants as distinct IT entities, subject to rigorous audit and zero-trust controls, including a comprehensive AI system registry and context-aware feature constraints. Organizations must invest in training and continuous monitoring to proactively address emerging threats and evolving vendor security postures.

AI is transforming workplace communication, presenting enterprises with governance challenges. LeapXpert’s platform addresses this by consolidating external client communications from platforms like WhatsApp and Teams into a governed environment. Their AI engine, Maxen, analyzes messages for sentiment, compliance, and intent while maintaining auditability. This provides stakeholders with transparent records and flagged anomalies, improving efficiency and risk management. A case study showed a 65% reduction in manual review time. LeapXpert emphasizes the need for transparency and control to leverage AI’s benefits without sacrificing data security.

S&T Bancorp (STBA) has appointed Stephanie N. Doliveira to its board of directors and S&T Bank’s board, effective immediately. Doliveira brings over 25 years of leadership experience, most recently as Executive Vice President of People and Culture at Sheetz, Inc. CEO Chris McComish cites Doliveira’s expertise in culture and strategy as invaluable. Analysts suggest her appointment underscores S&T’s focus on internal culture and sustainable growth, particularly in a competitive banking landscape. Her experience in human capital management and risk oversight will be valuable in navigating a complex regulatory environment.

Airbnb is deploying anti-party technology this Halloween to prevent disruptive gatherings by identifying and blocking “higher-risk” reservations using a complex algorithm analyzing booking parameters. This follows similar deployments during other peak travel periods. Since implementing a party ban in 2020, Airbnb reports a 50% reduction in party reports. This initiative aims to build trust, protecting its brand image by fostering a safer platform for hosts and guests, while balancing proactive prevention and avoiding false positives.

Meta is reducing its risk organization workforce, shifting towards AI-driven automation for compliance reviews. This follows a $5 billion FTC fine and aligns with broader workforce adjustments, including layoffs in the Superintelligence Labs AI unit. Meta emphasizes that AI aims to streamline processes and augment human capabilities, not replace judgment. The company says AI will automate applying rules and not make the decision on risk itself. This move mirrors similar strategies at companies like JPMorgan and Salesforce, raising questions about AI’s impact on the job market.

The International Insurance Society (IIS) announced the finalists for the 2025 RGA Leaders of Tomorrow Award. These emerging leaders were selected for their research addressing key challenges in insurance and risk management. Finalists include Robin Huettemann (McKinsey), focusing on public-private partnerships for natural catastrophe resilience; Sulim Lee (AIA), exploring the role of human advisors in the age of AI; and Anne-Katherin Schirlitz (Gallagher Re), examining growth imperatives in reinsurance. They will present their research at the IIS Global Insurance Forum in Switzerland, where the 2025 RGA Leader of Tomorrow will be named.