In May 2025, CFTE had the privilege of co-hosting a strategic session on AI and financial systems during the Annual Meeting of the Arab Monetary Fund’s Fintech Working Group.
This wasn’t just another AI panel.
It was a rare opportunity to step into a conversation with the region’s regulators, central banks, and policy designers — the very people shaping the rules of tomorrow’s financial infrastructure.
Rather than showcasing tools or predicting distant futures, we focused on what matters most today:
How do institutions build real AI readiness when transformation is already underway?
From Innovation Buzzwords to Institutional Blueprints
Too often, AI is discussed in technical silos or executive summaries. This session brought it into the space where it matters most: regulatory strategy and national capacity building.
Here’s why it stood out:
A shift from features to frameworks
We moved beyond tools like ChatGPT and Gemini to ask bigger questions:
- How do supervisors stay relevant when business models evolve overnight?
- What defines “AI literacy” at the institutional level?
- How do central banks upskill their talent to regulate what they don’t build?
A focus on capability, not just compliance
The discussion wasn’t reactive. It was design-oriented. We weren’t just warning about risks — we were co-creating models for readiness.
Direct engagement with regional decision-makers
This was not a tech showcase. It was a working session with those leading financial innovation, stability, and talent development across the Arab region.
What Emerged: Three Core Insights for AI-Ready Institutions
1. AI Readiness is More Than Tool Familiarity
Many institutions are investing in AI technologies. Fewer are investing in the human and strategic capabilities to use them responsibly.
AI-readiness, as discussed by the Fintech Working Group, must be built around:
– Strategic understanding, not just awareness
– Ethical fluency and governance competence
– Systemic thinking across departments and use cases
Readiness, in this context, means being able to ask the right questions and design the right guardrails, not just operate the tools.
2. Talent Will Be Amplified — Not Replaced
We introduced CFTE’s Performance Hexagon, which resonated deeply:
– Task Robots: Routine automation
– Problem Solvers: Adaptable talent
– Superstars: Innovators and catalysts
– Supercharged Professionals: Leaders who use AI to multiply their impact
The insight was clear:
AI widens the gap between low and high performance — it doesn’t eliminate people, it **elevates potential** where readiness exists.
3. Capability Maturity Must Be Structured
We outlined a practical 3-stage model for AI workforce development:
1. Literacy: Understand foundational AI principles
2. Tool Proficiency: Apply tools effectively
3. Strategic Application: Design workflows, teams, and governance aligned with AI’s impact
The group consensus? AI-readiness isn’t a workshop — it’s a journey. And that journey must be guided by policy-aligned, institution-specific frameworks.
What Regulators Are Asking — And Why It Signals Readiness
During the session, several pressing questions emerged:
– How can we regulate models we don’t fully understand?
– How do we prepare our supervisors for exponential innovation cycles?
– Can AI be a force for financial inclusion, rather than complexity?
These are the kinds of questions that define real institutional maturity.
They don’t signal hesitation. They signal leadership.
Why This Moment Mattered
The Arab Monetary Fund’s Fintech Working Group is more than a forum — it’s a regional engine for innovation, resilience, and regulatory alignment.
At CFTE, we believe regulators aren’t just gatekeepers of innovation.
They’re architects of trust and builders of capability.
That’s why we’re proud to work with AMF and its member institutions to co-create frameworks, upskilling pathways, and strategic guidance for AI readiness.
Because the future of finance isn’t just about who builds the best models.
It’s about who governs them wisely.
