AI & Finance News — 2026-10-04 (Sun) Evening News

Overview

In South Korea, hacking using AI spread from the five major banks and regional banks to the second financial zone (Hyundai Capital, Nonghyup Mutual Finance, Saemaul Bank, Wellcome Savings Bank, etc.) simultaneously, and President Lee Jae-myung ordered major banks to investigate (chosun.com, The Korea Times, 매일경제). Bank of England has warned of rising financial risks from energy prices and AI (Cyprus Mail). EU financial regulators have targeted AI and tokenization for increased oversight (Cyprus Mail).

Bank trends

In South Korea, AI-based hacking is affecting the entire banking industry. The problem spread to the second financial region, and an emergency meeting was called (chosun.com). President Lee Jae-myung has ordered a thorough investigation into AI-based cyber attacks (The Korea Times, BigGo Finance). Industry-wide security inspections have also begun (Korea JoongAng Daily). Following the five major banks and local banks, it has become clear that multiple attacks have occurred simultaneously in the second largest financial sector, raising concerns about information leaks in the financial sector. Bank of England has warned of rising financial risks from energy prices and AI (Cyprus Mail). Bank of America pointed out that "AI trades" has become the current "last line of defense" for the US Treasury market (Fudu Niu Niu). The CEO of Vietnam's Techcombank said that the key to the AI race is not technical capabilities but execution capabilities (Vietnam.vn).

Insurance trends

Manulife is being discussed as to whether its travel insurance plugin on ChatGPT will differentiate its digital strategy (Yahoo Finance). In Malaysia, AI and digital forensics have been positioned as the main means of combating fraudulent auto insurance claims (NST Online). Headlines related to financing AI investments include: Convertible bonds are gaining momentum globally (AsianInvestor), global capital is supporting the US AI boom amid hidden debt concerns (Moneyweb), and Nvidia is building a financial safety net to support its own boom (AD HOC NEWS). However, we cannot confirm this as a move by the insurance company itself.

Trends in asset management and market transactions

GoalVest Advisory LLC increased its holdings in Nvidia by 111,496 shares (The Globe and Mail). Regarding Arm Holdings, there was a commentary that raised the rating on the basis that the transition to agent-type AI will be a factor for growth (Seeking Alpha). It was reported that Jay Clayton has been appointed as the White House AI czar (Benzinga). In Japan, the majority of investors said, "No, that's fine" when it comes to letting AI handle stock trading (Business Insider Japan). On the other hand, some have expressed the view that testing the capabilities of AI agents could change securities trading (Barron's Digest). In the area of crypto assets, there is also a promotional article featuring AlphaPepe (ALPE) (StreetInsider).

Fintech/payment trends

Mal raises $230m seed round to build AI-native Islamic bank in Abu Dhabi (thefintechtimes.com). ChatGPT Wallet has been criticized as a missing piece in the OpenAI initiative (Pasquale Pillitteri). In the field of payments and wallets, there is a growing awareness that AI assistants will become the gateway to finance.

Remarks from key figures and authorities in the financial world

At this time, we were unable to confirm any headlines reporting the statements or actions of the key figures being tracked (Jamie Dimon, Larry Fink, Jane Fraser, David Solomon, Brian Moynihan, Ted Pick, Ken Griffin, and Paul Atkins). No notable movement. For reference, on the authorities side, President Lee Jae-myung ordered major banks to investigate cyber attacks suspected of involving AI (The Korea Times, BigGo Finance).

Trends in AI-related stocks and funding

Mal has raised $230m in seed funding (thefintechtimes.com). Articles introducing AI-related stocks by country show that three Canadian AI stocks have a profit growth rate of "up to 58%" (Yahoo Finance), and three British AI stocks have a profit growth rate of "up to 18%" (Yahoo! Finance Canada). Australian AI stocks (Yahoo Finance) and Japanese AI stocks including ExaWizards (Yahoo Finance Singapore) were also featured. GoalVest Advisory's increase in Nvidia stock is 111,496 shares (The Globe and Mail). It was also reported that convertible bonds are expanding globally (AsianInvestor) and that global funds are supporting the US AI boom (Moneyweb).

Trends in financial regulation and supervision

EU financial regulators have put AI and tokenization under new scrutiny (Cyprus Mail). Bank of England has warned of rising financial risks around AI (Cyprus Mail). In South Korea, the president has ordered an investigation, and security checks are underway across the banking industry (The Korea Times, Korea JoongAng Daily). No headlines reporting new measures by the SEC, FCA, FSB, or Financial Services Agency could be confirmed.

Integrated analysis: What is happening now

The biggest structure is that AI is putting pressure on the financial system, both as an ``tool of attack'' and as a ``source of demand for funds.'' In South Korea, attacks using AI have spread from the five largest banks to regional banks and then to the second-tier financial zone, and appear to be spreading from large banks to destinations with relatively little protection. Concerns about information leaks in the secondary financial zone may affect trust in the financial system as a whole. On the financial side, the expansion of convertible bonds, the influx of global capital into the US, and Nvidia's financial safety net simultaneously demonstrate the depth of funds supporting AI investment and concerns about "hidden debt." The Bank of England's warning appears to be conscious of both aspects. Regulation is moving in two directions: cyber defense and oversight of new technologies, such as the EU's increased oversight of AI and tokenization, and South Korea's investigation orders and industry-wide inspections. On the customer side, on the other hand, the majority of investors do not want AI to be responsible for stock trading, and testing of agents' abilities has begun. The movement to incorporate AI into customer contact points (ChatGPT's insurance plug-in, ChatGPT Wallet) is progressing, but securing trust may be a condition for its widespread use.

Future points of interest

- What kind of countermeasures and tightening of regulations will the results of the Korean investigation and the security inspection of the entire industry, including the second financial region, lead to? - How will the Bank of England's warning about AI-related financial risks and concerns about "hidden debt" in the financing of AI investments be addressed in future regulatory discussions? - Details of the EU's strengthened supervision of AI and tokenization and the results of examining the impact of AI agents on securities trading.