Hong Kong banking regulator sets out ART framework for responsible AI adoption

Hong Kong’s monetary authority has introduced an “ART” framework—Accountability, Resilience and Trust—to guide banks’ adoption of artificial intelligence, alongside updated supervisory guidance and further work on data sharing and agentic AI oversight.

Announced on 15 October, the framework includes the HKMA’s latest Supervisory Guidance for Responsible Adoption of Artificial Intelligence, informed by the second cohort of its Generative AI Sandbox. The authority also plans an AI training-data sharing platform with Hong Kong Cyberport and the University of Hong Kong, with data quality assurance identified as a core design principle.

The HKMA said it will continue testing agentic AI applications through its GenAI Sandbox++ and plans to publish a discussion paper on a proposed supervisory framework for agentic AI governance. Areas for consideration include accountability tied to an agent’s intent, a registry of material AI agents and mechanisms for effective intervention. The paper is planned, not a finalized set of rules.

The announcement coincided with the completion of technical trials by the sandbox’s second cohort at a two-day Finance + AI Forum co-hosted by the HKMA and Cyberport. The authority said more than 60 percent of the use cases explored agentic AI, including systems that plan and execute multi-step tasks within defined boundaries and controls.

HKMA Deputy Chief Executive Arthur Yuen described the shift from generative to agentic AI as a new stage of innovation for banks. He said accountability, resilient operating models and human oversight would be important to capturing potential benefits while maintaining trust and stability in Hong Kong’s financial system.