Fed Governor Waller Addresses AI Agents in Payments at Sibos 2026
Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller spoke at Sibos 2026 in Miami on the implications of artificial intelligence agents for the payments system.
Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller delivered remarks at Sibos 2026 in Miami, Florida, focusing on the growing role of artificial intelligence agents in the payments landscape. The speech placed the Fed squarely in a global conversation about how autonomous AI systems are beginning to reshape the infrastructure underpinning financial transactions.
The address, hosted at one of the financial industry's most prominent annual gatherings, signaled that policymakers at the central bank level are actively examining how AI-driven automation intersects with existing payment rails, compliance frameworks, and consumer protections. Sibos, organized by SWIFT, draws together bankers, regulators, and fintech leaders from around the world each year.
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Waller's choice of topic reflects a broader institutional acknowledgment that AI agents — software systems capable of executing tasks autonomously on behalf of users or institutions — are moving from experimental tools to operational components within financial services. Questions of accountability, settlement finality, fraud prevention, and regulatory oversight become more complex when transactions are initiated not by humans but by algorithms acting on their behalf.
The Federal Reserve's engagement with these themes at a major international forum suggests the central bank is seeking to shape norms and frameworks before AI agent-driven payments become widespread, rather than responding after the fact. Analysts have noted that regulatory clarity in this area remains nascent across most jurisdictions.
Full details of Governor Waller's prepared remarks and policy positions on AI in payments are available directly from the source. Continue reading at FRB: Speeches.
