Intertrust, a global leader in providing expert administrative services to clients operating and investing in the international business environment, surveyed capital markets executives across Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia to identify the impact that disruptive technology is having on jobs and skills.
According to the survey, capital markets is ahead of the curve in adopting new technologies with just over half of respondents (51%) saying that technology such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), blockchain and robotics are already being adopted in their sector. This represents a significant increase on the sector average of 33%.
Looking ahead over the next five years, 76% said that AI is the technology with the most potential to disrupt the sector further. Although, 72% believe blockchain could also have a significant impact.
When asked about where disruptive technology is likely to have the greatest impact, three quarters of respondents believe AI will be transformational in automating back office functions such as structured finance, securitisation and alternative finance.
Cliff Pearce, Global Head of Capital Markets at Intertrust, said, “Our research shows that the capital markets industry is clearly well ahead of the industry curve when it comes to harnessing the power of disruptive technology. AI is quickly becoming mainstream and early adopters are reaping the benefits of applying new technologies to business process, especially time-consuming manual tasks that can now be safely automated.
“Looking ahead, there is no doubt that the industry has yet to realise the full potential of AI, however our research suggests that blockchain is also one to watch, particularly when it comes to mission-critical tasks such as securing data and transactions.”