Banking in Real Time: Managing Regulatory Shock and Risk with AI

In 2026, banks aren’t debating whether to adopt AI. They’re under pressure to respond to regulatory shocks, demographic shifts, and real-time market volatility. Boardroom conversations have moved beyond generic “AI strategy” concerns to urgent questions about capital impact, customer flight risk, fraud exposure, and cross-border compliance.

In this session, Starburst’s Adrian Estala, Chief Field Data & AI Officer, and John Bell, Principal Strategic Engagement Manager, will begin with a practical look at what it takes to build a modern, AI-ready data foundation—one that works across existing systems without any disruptive migrations.

They’ll then address the realities facing global banks today like stringent regulatory oversight, fragmented data environments, and strict data sovereignty requirements.

From there, the session will walk through several real-world examples from Tier-1 institutions, illustrating how federated, governed data products help banks move faster, maintain compliance, and drive measurable business outcomes—without compromising the systems that keep the lights on.